The Legend of Rune: Forsakened Blood FINAL MIX
by Deeth Irteen
Summary: The Sequel to Rising Fears. Four years have passed, and Rune is finally enjoying his life. But, new problems appear in the form of Tyrrany, an mysterious White dragoness who's out for blood. Rated M for mature themes and violence.
1. Act 2, Chapter 4

Act 2, Chapter 4

It was the same night. Nellie sat in her room, pouting angrily. She couldn't sleep. She was thinking about the day's events.

"It's not fair!" She yelled. "This is Roxanne's fault! All of it!"

After Nellie and Roxanne got caught fighting in the hallway, they were taken to the Elders' chamber. Roxanne's parents, a Lightning dragoness named Velma and a Memory dragon named Seamus, were called in to see the Elders, as was Seraph. None of the adults were pleased with the fight.

Telus looked at the two girls, disapproval in his eyes.

"This behavior is completely unacceptable." The Earth elder said. "Nellie, I would have expected better from you!"

"I'm sorry, Master Telus." Nellie responded, sadly.

"Apologizing does not make this instantly vanish from memory, Nellie." Attonita said, frowning. "Really, what was it that made you act that in such a way in the first place?"

"Well…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Roxanne asked. "She's obviously suffering from personal issues that-"

"Silence, Roxanne." Krystallos demanded, glaring. When Roxanne stopped talking, the Water elder looked over at Nellie. "Continue."

The young water dragoness explained how Roxanne had passed a note to her which depicted a suggestive picture of Rune and the lightning dragoness. She spoke of how she waited until after class ended and chased after Roxanne to confront her, how the lightning dragoness proceeded to taunt her, and how she eventually broke into a fight. Attonita shook her head.

"That was no reason to start a fight in the middle of a hallway." She said.

"There are much better ways to resolve conflict." Krystallos added. Nellie sighed. Roxanne was about to smirk, but the Lightning elder looked over at her.

"As for you, Roxanne, it is clear that you were intentionally instigating the fight by taunting Nellie. You are just as much to blame as her." Roxanne frowned.

Attonita and Krystallos looked at Telus.

"What do you think should be done with them, Telus?" Kyrstallos asked. The Earth elder had remained silent for some time. He shook his head.

"It is clear to me that the feud between these two girls will not disappear on its own." He began. "The two must put an end to it."

"How do you think that should be done?" Attonita asked.

"There is pent up rage in each of them. They shall release their anger in a fair battle in the arena in two days' time."

"Are you certain that is what should be done?" Attonita asked.

"Their quarrel will not cease until a victor has been decided."

Attonita and Krystallos nodded in agreement. The Water elder looked at the parents of the two girls.

"Is that tolerable to you all?"

The parents agreed to it.

"Then it is decided." Telus said. "It two days, Nellie and Roxanne shall do battle in the Palace arena. For now, they shall not speak to each other on school grounds."

When Seraph and Nellie returned home, the adult dragoness was very displeased.

"Of all the things for you to do, Nellie…." Seraph said. "Starting a fight? What were you thinking?"

"But Mom, I…" Nellie tried to start, but Seraph wouldn't let her finish.

"Save it, young lady! You're grounded for a week!"

"What?"

"For the next seven days, you're to come right home after school. Got it?"

"But, I-"

"I said, GOT IT?"

The younger dragoness sighed in defeat.

"Yes, Mom." She answered sadly.

"And you can be sure that I'm going to tell your father about this when he gets home."

"Yes, Mom."

Here it was, in the middle of the night. Nellie was frustrated. She would have to wait an entire week before she and Rune could go spend time together out in the city. To make matters worse, she had to worry about an upcoming rematch with Roxanne at the arena. As much as she wanted to teach that Yellow-hided bitch a lesson, Nellie wasn't much of a fighter. Roxanne wasn't much of a Magic user, but she was one of the higher-ranked students in physical combat. The Water dragoness was a large disadvantage.

Nellie paced back and forth, snarling.

"Damn you, Rox!" She yelled. "I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!"

When Nellie's energy finally started to run low, she slumped over to her bed. As she laid down, she thought about Rune.

"He should be in Glenhaven by the time the battle starts…." She said to herself. She shut her eyes, sighing.

"I wonder what he'll think of me getting in a fight with that girl…"

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she imagined Rune watching the fight, cheering Nellie on. After Nellie succeeded, Rune ran up and hugged her, while Roxanne walked off crying, her two stooges following suit. Nellie smiled.

_Rune…._

…

It was the next morning in Warfang. Albanion woke steadily woke up. He looked to his side. Elza was curled up next to him, sleeping peacefully. He smiled at her, running a paw through her beautiful blue mane.

Elza's hatchday had finally arrived. She was now thirty-three years old, although Albanion wouldn't say the number out loud. It didn't matter how old she was: Albanion loved her regardless. He did his best to be a good husband to her. And soon, he would do his best to be a good _father_ as well. He and Elza already had experience watching over the two princes when Bane, Elenar and Urobos could not, but never thought about having children of their own before. But when Elza told Albanion that she felt empty without children to look after, they finally decided to have a few. Albanion had not thought of names yet, but that was a small matter.

Albanion kissed his mate, and gently shook her to wake her.

"Time to get up, Elza." He said, smiling. The dark green dragoness slowly awoke yawn.

"Good morning, Albanion." She said to him, still half asleep.

"Happy Hatchday, love." Elza smiled at Albanion.

"You remembered!"

"Of course I did."

Albanion got up from their bed and approached a dresser on the other side of the room. He reached inside and pulled out two large, dark grey robes. They were the signature Robes worn by members of the Deep Shadows. The robes were made of a magically charmed fabric that blocked most magic attacks. Albanion set Elza's robe to the side, and proceeded to put his on. He made the robes dissolve into pure Dark energy, had is surround his body, and then turned it back into robes. As he did this, Elza got up from the bed and approached _her_ robes to put them on.

"Do you have anything planned for me today?" Elza asked, finishing with her robes.

"Well, for starters, I got you a gift." Albanion answered.

"A gift? What is it?"

"Shut your eyes, and you'll find out soon enough."

Elza smiled, doing as he commanded. Albanion then opened the unused, bottommost drawer of the dresser, and reached into the very back. Elza opened one of her eyes, but Albanion caught her.

"No peaking!"

"Awww."

After Elza shut her eyes completely again, Albanion resumed "searching" for the gift. In truth, he found it in the drawer early on. He was just making it seem hard to find to fill his mate with suspense. When he was done toying around, Albanion produced the Serenity Gem, holding it so that it didn't make any noise. He turned and held it before Elza.

"Okay, you may look."

Elza opened her eyes, and was delighted to see the shining White Gem on its gold chain.

"Why, that's a Serenity Gem!" She exclaimed with glee. "Where did you find one?" Albanion placed the chain around Elza's neck.

"I bought it from a trader at the Caravan." He answered. "I hope you like it."

"I love it!" Elza leaned forwards and kissed the grey dragon. "Thank you, Albanion."

"Your welcome, Elza." He said, smiling.

Albanion and Elza walked down the hallways of the Temple, heading towards the Main Chamber, where Elenar was. Many of the students wished the green dragoness a happy hatchday, while some guards made positive comments about the beautiful Gem that hung around her neck. Careful not to enrage Albanion, they said that the Deep Shadow had great taste and class to present his mate with such a fine gift.

Eventually, Albanion and Elza walked into the Main Chamber. Elenar was there, talking to Wraith and Urobos. Elenar spoke first when they two arrived.

"Aw, Albanion. I was about to summon you." The Queen said. She then looked at Elza, smiling. "Happy Hatchday, Elza."

"Thank you, Elly." Elza replied.

"What did you need, your highness?" Albanion asked.

"I need you and Wraith to head to the Southwestern part of Warfang." Elenar answered. "A terrible crime has been committed, and you two are the most qualified to handle it."

"What crime?"

"The Gilded Scales Bar has been burned down."

Albanion's eyes lit up in shock.

"I'll get right on it!" He sadly looked over at Elza. "I'm sorry, love. The things I planned for you will have to wait."

"That's alright, Albanion." Elza said, placing her front right paw on his front left. "I can wait for you to get back." Albanion smiled.

Wraith walked forwards, grabbing Albanion's shoulder.

"Come on, we've got work to do."

"Right." Albanion agreed. The two Deep Shadows walked out of the Main Chamber. Elza sighed, and then turned back to face the Queen and her father-in-law.

"Albanion certainly knows how to treat you, Elza." Elenar said, smiling.

"Well, he and Bane grew up together." Urobos added. "They behaved similarly growing up. Like brothers, really." The two dragonesses chuckled.

"Do you think it was fate that Bane and I became mates, while both of our best friends did the same?" Elenar asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_." The Elenar sighed. She turned to face the green dragoness.

"Elza, you may have the day off from work."

"Thank you, Elenar." Elza turned to leave the chamber. "I'm going to go wait for Albanion to return. When he does, we'll come back here."

"Alright." the Queen said, smiling. "See you in a little while, Elza."

After leaving the Main Chamber, Elza proceeded to walk down the hallways of the Temple. As she did so, she watched the many young dragons traveling about the Temple. Elza smiled, placing a paw on the spot on her belly where her unlaid eggs were developing just behind her skin.

"Someday, you little ones will be running about in the same way." She said quietly.

"Well, isn't _that_ an adorable thing to say to one's undeveloped children?"

Elza was shocked. She looked around for whoever spoke to her. She spotted a purple dragon with three horns standing next to a large stone pillar. The dragon was smirking a mischievous grin.

"And my oh my, what a lovely Serenity Gem that is. A gift from your husband, no doubt.

"Who are you?" Elza demanded. "Visitors aren't allowed inside the Temple during school hours without an escort!"

The purple dragon approached casually.

"Oh, but I'm not a visitor."

"Who are you, then?"

"Just a Magician, my dear lady." The dragon focused on Elza with his blood red eyes.

"Just so you know, that's no _ordinary_ Serenity Gem around you neck."

"What?" The purple dragon grinned wider.

"Watch what happens when I do… this!" The dragon snapped his talons on the last word. Instantly, the Gem started glowing Blood red. Elza was shocked. As she looked at the red glow, she suddenly started entering a trance-like state.

"What did…..you…do?" She asked, staring into the light like a zombie.

"Just a fancy little parlor trick." The dragon chuckled. As Elza continued to stare at the light, her eyes changed from green, to pure white. The purple dragon chuckled evilly.

"Now that I have your attention, my dear, there's something I need your help with…."

…

Something seriously wrong had happened. A great number of Firefighters had been dispatched to the Southwestern part of Warfang. Hours ago, somebody alerted the authorities, saying that the Gilded Scales Bar had been set aflame. When Mole firefighters arrived, A massive green Fire was spread allover the place. Normal water did nothing to extinguish the flames. So, Water and Fire dragons were called in to combat the flames, the former trying to douse the flames, and the latter doing their best to absorb the flames into themselves.

When it was the middle of the morning, the flames were finally eliminated. It was a Pyrrhic victory: The Gilded Scales Bar was reduced to a smoking black wreck. Inside, the burned remains of Sieg the bartender and two earth dragons were found lying on the floor of the Bar.

Albanion and Wraith arrived on the scene, dispatched by Elenar to aid Grail, who was already there to conduct and investigation. Then the two Deep Shadows came to a landing, Wraith stared up at the Wreckage, his jaw hanging open.

"Shit!" He exclaimed. "What the fuck happened here?"

"It's our job to find out." Albanion responded.

"Well, yeah, I knew that." Wraith replied. "It's just…." He waved his paws in the air. "..Damn!"

The two Deep Shadows approached the front of the bar. Dragons and Moles were scattered about, trying to figure out what happened. The bodies of Sieg and the earth dragons were inserted into body bags and placed into an ambulance. Albanion frowned.

"You alright, Boss?" Wraith asked, noticing that the grey dragon was troubled.

"Sieg was a good dragon." He said. "He will be missed."

"I suppose so.." Wraith commented.

The two stepped inside the remains of the Bar. Just about everything was burned to a crispy back. Ash was allover the place. There was still some smoke floating about. Grail was surveying the area, a paw over his snout. White tape was placed on the floor, where the bodies were found. A few moles were investigating the area, trying to figure out what happened to cause the fire.

Albanion sneezed, which got Grail's attention.

"Bless you." He said, glancing at the two approaching Deep Shadows.

"Thanks." Albanion replied. "Have you found anything out?"

The older Deep Shadow shook his head.

"I haven't determined the cause of the fire, but I suspect foul play."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Sieg and the two others were the only ones in the Bar when it was set on fire. They were found lying just in front of the counter. There was little to nothing that could've prevented them from fleeing for their lives."

"Did you find any flammable materials lying around?" Wraith asked.

"We thoroughly searched everywhere we could, but found no such thing."

"Is that so…" Wraith had a look around the bar. He ran a talon along the counter, collecting a bit of the soot off it. He ran it through his talons, inspecting it carefully.

"What are you doing?" Albanion asked.

"Grail, what color were the flames again?" Wraith asked.

"Witnesses say the flames were a light Green."

"Interesting. Albanion, what was Sieg's element?"

"He was a Pain dragon." the Deep Shadow answered.

"Hmm…" Wraith looked over at his two companions. "Well, I can tell you this: The fire was started by a dragon."

"A Fire dragon did this?" Albanion asked.

"Not Likely." Grail answered. "None of the witnesses saw any dragons leave the Bar when it was closing."

"It may not have necessarily been a Fire dragon." Wraith said.

"What makes you say that?"

"A Fire dragon's Flame breath usually matches his hide color: either Red or Orange. If this was done by such a dragon, the flames would've been a matching color. However, they were green, which means a different breed of dragon did this."

"Do you mean a purple dragon?" Grail asked.

"Possibly."

"But no one saw any dragons approach the bar or leave it." Albanion said.

"Well then, maybe this purple dragon that did this had Time magic and was able to escape with out being seen."

"Well then, who could have-?" Suddenly, Albanion gasped in realization. "BENJAMIN!"

"Who?" Grail asked.

"You mean that Magician who was in here last night?" Wraith asked.

"Yes! **HE** was here last night! **HE **has Time magic!"

Grail and Wraith gasped.

"You think _he_ did this?" Wraith asked.

"Whether he did or not, he's a prime suspect!" Albanion declared. "We need to find him immediately!"

"Where _will_ we find him?" Grail asked.

"He's one of the traders in the Caravan that arrived from Faeshrine!" Albanion turned and bolted out the door. "Quickly! There could be a murderer on the loose!"

Grail and Wraith nodded and followed after their leader. When Grail got outside, he ordered a large group of soldiers to follow him. The three Deep Shadows then flew towards section of Warfang that the Caravan was stopped in. As they got closer, Wraith spotted something odd.

"Hey, is that….." He began.

"…Smoke?" Grail finished.

"Something is very wrong!" Albanion said. The three Deep Shadows picked up the pace, the group of soldiers following suit. When they got there, the three Deep Shadows stood in shock.

The entire Caravan, as well as several surrounding buildings, had been set up in flames. Horrible Green Flames

…

Far below, in the city of Warfang, a great number dragons, Moles, Cats, and other beings struggled to put out the raging fire that was spreading across the Southeastern section of the city. Queen Elenar, fearing for the safety of the children of the city, ordered all of the Dragon children to be taken to The Nexus and kept there for safe keeping. The Nondragon children of Warfang were ordered to be sheltered in the Underground Section of the Temple.

All of the Deep Shadows were dispatched to aid in the effort, except for Rose, who was sent to The Nexus to look after the dragon students who were sheltered inside it.

Elenar decided to hide in The Nexus as well. She and Cyrus flew up to the fortress as once. She wanted to find Elza and bring her with them, but the green dragoness was no where to be found. Urobos had gone to aid in the efforts to extinguish the fires.

"What's going on?" Cyrus asked. "How did this fire start?"

"We don't know, Cyrus." Elenar answered. "But we're doing our best to put them out."

"Why don't I go help?" the prince asked. "I _am_ a black dragon, after all!"

"It's too dangerous, Cyrus."

"Oh, come on! I've been through more dangerous scenarios!"

"Cyrus, please. I don't want you getting hurt." The prince sighed.

"Alright."

When they came to a landing in the Fortress's outer grounds, the two dragons stood in shock. All of the guards that were supposed to be on patrol were lying on the ground, puddles of mud around them. All around them, dragons lied dead or dying. Someone, or somet_hing_, had slaughtered them.

"Holy crap!" Cyrus exclaimed. "What happened up here?"

"I don't know…." Elenar answered, horror on her face. Suddenly, she realized something. "THE CHILDREN!"

The Queen ran forwards into the Fortress's main building. Cyrus ran after her.

"Mother, wait up!"

Elenar and Cyrus ran into the chapel, looking for Rose. The Queen and her son stood in shock.

Two dragons were standing before the statue of Bane at the front of the chapel. Three more dragons were lying nearby on the floor, dead. The three dead dragons were easily recognizable: Rose of the Deep Shadows, and the two Elders, Argos and Icarox. One of the two dragons was facing the back of the church, while the other one was staring up at Bane's likeness. The dragon facing forwards was none other than…

"Elza?" Elenar asked, confused. She slowly approached the front of the church. "What's happened here? Why are Rose and the Elders dead? And who is that?"

Elza did not answer. She only stared off into space like a zombie. The dragon beside her, however, started to chuckle.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Elenar?"

Elenar gasped. That voice….

The dragon turned around slowly. He had three silver horns, two of which were like a ram's. He had a golden mane and beard. He wore a monocle over one of his blood red eyes.

Elenar stared in fright, while the dragon merely grinned.

"Bergan." The grey dragoness said.

"I simply must apologize for not getting in contact with you sooner, Elenar." Bergan replied, casually. "I've just had quite a bit of work to attend to these past four years. Being the president of an entire company is no walk in the park, you see."

"What are you doing here? Where is Hope?"

"Who?" Bergan asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh, you must mean our daughter! Would have known it was a girl, had you elected to see every once in a while."

Elenar was taken aback.

"I've been trying to-"

"Mother, don't fall off track!" Cyrus yelled. "That guy's up to no good!"

Elenar's eyes lit up. "You're right."

"Ah, _that_ young dragon must be your son Cyrus." Bergan said, smirking. "I simply _must_ have a closer look."

As soon as Bergan said that, he instantly appeared behind the two dragons, struck Cyrus in the back of the neck where his head met it, and lifted him up by the tail with his front left pay. Elenar jumped at the swiftness of Bergan's movement.

"Hmm, he doesn't look much like father Bane." Bergan said, a displeased look on his face.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Cyrus demanded, struggling to swipe at Bergan with his paws.

"He's got quite the foul mouth. He reminds me of our daughter."

"Put my son down!" Elenar demanded. The purple dragon grinned.

"As you wish."

Bergan dropped Cyrus on the floor and instantly appeared back next to Elza, while Elenar helped Cyrus right himself.

"Are you alright, Cyrus?"

"I'm okay." Cyrus answered, rubbing his neck where Bergan hit him. Elenar turned and glared at the purple dragon.

"Elza, attack!" She demanded. But the green dragoness did nothing.

"Elza?"

"Oh dear! Is Elza not following orders?" Bergan faked a concerned face. "Here, let _me_ try." He turned to look at the green dragoness. "Elza, attack!"

Immediately, Elza leapt into battle, charging for the two other dragons. The green dragoness unleashed a great blast of Wind breath upon the Queen and her son, knocking them backwards.

"Oh, and bring the boy over to me!" Bergan shouted. Immediately, Elza struck Cyrus across the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Elenar tried to snatch her son away, but the green dragoness blasted her in the face, forcing her back. In this moment, Elenar saw the trancelike state of Elza's eyes.

When the Queen had gotten back onto her feet, Elza had brought Cyrus before Bergan, who smiled triumphantly.

"What have you done to her?" Elenar demanded.

"Nowadays, they say that jewelry is the quickest way to a woman's heart." Bergan answered. Elenar growled.

"Release her, AND my son!" Bergan cocked an eyebrow.

"No, I don't think I will. I need to use them for a little while."

Suddenly, Bergan appeared a few feet away from Elenar. Before she could react, Bergan grabbed her neck with his front left paw and lifted her in the air. A small amount of Electricity ran through her entire body, rendering her unable to break free.

"Don't worry, Elenar. I'm not going to kill you. After all, you need to get to Glenhaven to save your _other_ son."

"What…do…you…?" Elenar struggled to ask. Bergan chuckled.

"In the meantime, I'll take good care of Elza and Cyrus. I'll also be taking custody of The Nexus, and the children within it. I _did_ design this fortress, after all. It belongs to me."

"What?.."

"I do believe it's time for you to be going."

After saying this, Bergan's eyes glowed completely red. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared, surrounding Elenar. Bergan brought her closer and kissed her on the cheek.

"Till we meet again, my dear."

And with that, the cloud of smoke engulfed her completely, and vanished….

…

A moment later, Elenar appeared on one of the streets of Warfang. She was slowly able to get back onto her feet.

"Lady Elenar?" She heard someone shout. Grail, Albanion and Urobos ran up to the young Queen.

"Elenar, what happened?' Urobos asked. "How'd you end up here?"

"The children of The Nexus are in danger." Elenar said. She looked up at the fortress, and gasped. She pointed at it.

"Look!" She exclaimed. The others around her followed her direction, and gasped as well.

The Nexus was becoming surrounded by a giant black sphere of pure darkness.

"Who's doing is that?" Grail demanded.

"It certainly wasn't any of us!" Urobos exclaimed.

Once The Nexus was completely, surrounded, the Dark energy slowly faded away. The fortress had vanished without a trace.

"NO!" Grail.

"Who did this?" Albanion demanded.

"Bergan." Elenar answered. The others looked at her in shock.

"Bergan?" Urobos asked.

"Yes. He's kidnapped my son Cyrus and possessed Elza as well."

"WHAT?" Albanion shouted. "I'll kill him! Where is he?"

"I don't know where he's headed, or what he's planning…." Elenar said sadly. "…For now, I have to get to Glenhaven immediately. Something's going to happen to Rune."


	2. Act 2, Chapter 5

Act 2, Chapter 5

The Same morning.

Seraph woke the Nellie up, as she usually does. Nellie's mother was still mad, but had cooled down a bit.

"Time to get up, Nellie." She said to her daughter.

"Alright, Mom." Nellie responded. As the young dragoness got ready to go to the Palace, Seraph watched her.

"Remember, Nellie: You have to come directly home after school."

"Yes, Mom." the young dragoness replied, not looking at her.

Seraph sighed. She didn't like punishing her daughter. She knew Nellie wasn't a troublemaker. In fact, her daughter rarely broke any rules at all. Her last big bit of troublemaking was when she ran away from home with Emerald and Blank to find Rune four years ago. And even then, Nellie was let off easy because of her traumatizing experience.

Even so, Seraph couldn't let Nellie's behavior go unpunished. There are many places and times for dragons to do battle, but in the middle of a place of learning was not one of them. And it was over a petty argument as well. Telus had done Nellie a favor by only having her and that Roxanne girl have a fair battle in the arena. He could have had Nellie suspended from school, which would've ruined her record. Luckily, Nellie was one of Telus's favorite students, so he kept the punishment minimal.

Once Nellie was ready to go, she headed for the front door.

"Have a nice day, Nellie." Seraph called to her. Her daughter only grunted on the way out.

As Nellie left, slip of paper fell out of her satchel; she must've not closed it properly.

"Nellie, you dropped-" She started to say. But the younger dragoness had already shut the door behind her.

"-something."

Shrugging, the adult Water dragoness walked over to pick it up. Curious, she looked to see what it was. It was a detailed drawing of Nellie and Rune standing before a statue of the Purple dragon Spyro. Rune was handing a Serenity Rose to Nellie, who was blushing.

Seraph smiled.

"She's really smitten with him." The dragoness folded the paper and placed it on the desk nearby. "I'll return it to her when she gets home."

…

Later that afternoon, in the Fractured Hills….

"So, you have an older sister?" Hontus asked..

"Yeah." Rune answered. "I only found out about her just recently."

Rune and Hontus had come to a landing at the southern edge of the Fractured Hills. The two had been traveling for days now, and Hontus decided that they needed a break. There weren't any settlements nearby, so they looked for a nice secluded area. They eventually found a cave near a lake of water. After each of them sat down on either side of the cave opening, they started talking to pass the time.

"I feel bad for you and your family." The red dragon said.

"How come?" The young black dragon asked.

"It seems like each one of your family members has to go through so much hardship in life."

"Well, being members of a royal family isn't easy."

"That's not what I mean."

"I know what you mean, Hontus. When The Hive was destroyed, my entire family was torn apart. Mother was dead, Grandfather Urobos became a nomad, Father lost all hope in his life, Cyrus was left almost completely unattended to, and I was left as a runaway, thinking everything was my fault."

"Well, not everything that happened to you after The Hive was destroyed was a bad thing." Hontus said reassuringly. "After all, Seraph and I found you when you were in the Arcus desert." Rune smiled.

"Yeah. I guess that, if I hadn't run away, I never would have met you two, or Emerald, or the Glenhaven Elders, or Blank…." Rune started to blush. "…Or Nellie."

Rune still felt embarrassed to mention the fact that he and Nellie were dating around Hontus or Seraph. They already knew, and they approved, but it still felt strange considering how long Rune was their adoptive son.

Hontus smiled.

"Yeah. You two are very happy together, right?"

"Of course."

"Right. And you'll continue to be happy for a long time. Just promise you won't whisk Nellie away to live with you in Warfang without telling me first."

For a short while, the two dragons had a laugh. After they finally settled down, Rune sighed.

"I wonder why my sister attacked Cyrus?"

"I wish I knew." Hontus said, shrugging. "It's pretty distasteful, if you ask me. Siblings get into small disputes from time to time, but it should never become so violent."

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding. It's possible that she mistook Cy for somebody else."

"That may not be it. Aren't you and Cyrus the only young Black dragons around right now?"

"Well, yeah. But then what happened, then?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Rune."

Rune lied down on his back.

"I wonder where she is."

"What was her name again?"

"I think Mother said her name is Hope."

"Hope….." Hontus lied down on his side of the cave. "That's a lovely name."

The two dragons slowly shut their eyes to get some rest. As Rune slipped into slumber, he wondered where his sister Hope might be. Little did he know that she was in the very city he was traveling to…

…

Nellie attended her classes, just as she usually does. She had hoped to keep the planned rematch between her and Roxanne a secret. No such luck. Word got around quickly about how Roxanne provoked Nellie, and Blank, ever the big-mouth he is, started telling everyone about the rematch tomorrow afternoon. Roxanne did the same thing, only she claimed that the previous fight was unprovoked, and that she would win easily in the rematch. So, all day, Nellie was bothered by countless random young dragons, all of them asking her annoying questions.

When Nellie, Emerald, Blank and Ember had their lunch period, it was more of the same.

"Hey Nellie! Is it true you're dating your brother? Gross!"

"Do you think you'll win in the battle tomorrow?"

"Will your brother be at the match? Will he root for you?"

"Do you think you'll stand a chance in the match, Nellie?"

Nellie started growling. It was all she could do to keep from screaming in irritation. Luckily, Emerald stood up for her.

"Leave her alone, already!" The green dragoness yelled. "It's not a big deal!"

After the crowd finally left, Emerald turned and slugged Blank in the front upper leg.

"Ow!" He yelled, rubbing the spot where she hit him. "What was that for?"

"You just had to tell everyone you could about the rematch, didn't you? Jackass!"

"Well, it's not like Roxanne wouldn't have told anyone either!" He snapped. "At least I told people in a way that makes them root for Nellie!"

"What, did you think that would help?"

"Hey! Things could've been worse!"

As Emerald and Blank proceeded to bicker, Ember leaned in to whisper to Nellie.

"Do they always fight like this?"

"Not always." Nellie answered. "When Rune's in town, he gets caught in the middle of their arguments." Ember giggled.

"By the way, I'm sorry that you got in trouble yesterday, Nellie."

"Don't worry about it. I made a mistake, and now I have to deal with it."

Once Nellie was finished eating, she took her tray and brought is over to the garbage cans to empty it out. Blank and Emerald noticed her leaving, so they stopped their debate and got up to follow her. Ember did as well.

As Nellie approached the garbage cans, she glanced over at Roxanne, who was sitting a across the cafeteria. She was sitting next to Aaron and Vaun, as she normally does. Bitterness filled Nellie's veins. Even if she couldn't talk to the yellow dragoness, Nellie could still glare at her.

She was going to beat Roxanne. She didn't know how she was going to win, but Nellie had to win. It was high time that somebody took her down once and for all.

Emerald's paw clamped down on Nellie's shoulder.

"Just keep walking, Nellie."

"She's such a bitch." Nellie responded.

"You'll deal with her tomorrow afternoon."

"And you're gonna kick her ass." Blank added, smirking. Nellie smiled.

"You believe in me?"

"Err, no. I kinda made a bet with a few other guys that you wouldn't lose. I need you to win so I can cash in on 30 pieces of silver."

Emerald, Nellie and Ember glared at Blank, who grimaced.

"What?"

"You're a jerk, Blank." Ember said.

…

Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur wandered the many streets of Glenhaven. They had spent the night sleeping in an abandoned building on the southern side of the city. The building had two floors, connected by a single flight of stair. It was built for a family of Moles, or possible Cats or some other race. In any case, it was a perfect spot to hide in. When the trio went to sleep the previous night, Tyrrany took the entire top floor to herself, while Flame and Arthur stayed downstairs. She didn't even allow Flame to come near the staircase while she slept, and she had Arthur keep an eye on the red dragon. This sudden mistrust in him left Flame feeling hurt. Perhaps his advance the previous afternoon was a bad idea after all.

The next morning, the mistrust continued. Tyrrany found that there wasn't a mirror anywhere in the building. So, after she used Water magic to cleanse her face, she had Arthur help her put a new coat of purple makeup on. The dragoness made Flame stay away from the stairs the entire time.

Once Tyrrany's disguise was done, she realized that she was hungry. So, After searching the city for about an hour, she discovered a large grassland area on the East side of Glenhaven, which had large herds of sheep wandering around in it. What it was there for, she did not know, nor did she care. She had found a place to eat.

Flame went along with Tyrrany to get some food, but she made him stay at a great distance away from her. As Flame sat by a tree with a sheep on the ground before him, he watched Tyrrany as she struck a sheep with Lightning Breath, killing it in a matter of seconds. Once it was dead, Tyrrany pulled a dagger our of her satchel, unsheathed it, and used the dagger to cut a part of the sheep's flesh off. She then used the dagger to place small chunk's of the sheep's flesh into her mouth. She ate in this manner to avoid getting blood on her face and ruining her disguise.

Flame sighed as he watched her. Arthur floated by him, watching Flame's every move.

"What?" Flame asked, annoyed.

"Why do you keep trying to win her affections?" the dragonfly asked.

"I love her, Artie."

"Well stop loving her!"

"Why?" Arthur sighed.

"Flame, we're lucky to even be her friends, and that's only because we never badmouthed her."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, just leave it at that. If you keep making these advances, you're only going to get hurt. And I don't mean Anny will pummel you. She'll just keep breaking your heart until you lose all hope."

"That's not going to happen!" Flame yelled.

"Flame…."

"I don't need you trying to stop me, Arthur. Someday, Tyrrany and I will be together!"

"I'm just trying to help you, man."

Flame rolled his eyes. "Well, stop it."

…

As the trio explored the city, Tyrrany found that she was able to walk in the open; Apparently nobody seemed to care about here odd clothing.

"Man, this place is big!" Arthur exclaimed. "How are we going to find a single Water dragon?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Flame asked.

"No, it isn't." Flame rolled his eyes.

"If this 'Nellie girl is dating Rune, then naturally she'd be close to his age, right?"

"Yeah?"

"That mean's she's about sixteen or seventeen. Dragons that age are in the last years of their time in school."

"So?"

"So, if we find the school, then we'll be able to find Nellie."

"Oh."

"Once we find out which dragoness is Nellie," Tyrrany began, "then all we'll have to do is find out how to get her into a perilous situation. Then, when Rune appears to help her, I can step in and lend him my aid."

"And after that, you can get on his good side, and he'll put in a good word for you with your Mom, right?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Tyrrany turned her head towards the biggest building in Glenhaven: A giant Palace in the center of the city.

"That building is the biggest in Glenhaven. It's highly that that's where the young dragons of Glenhaven go to attend school." The dragoness started walking towards the giant building in the distance. "Come. We shall investigate it."

Flame and Arthur hurried up after her.

"Are you sure we'll find Nellie there?" the dragonfly asked.

"No, but it's a good place to look regardless."

…

As the school day finally came to a close, Nellie and her friends exited the Palace.

"You guys want to head to the Grasslands?" Emerald asked.

"I can't." Nellie responded sadly. "Mom grounded me, so I have to go home."

"Gee, I'm sorry to hear that." Ember said.

"You guys can go without me, though." Nellie replied. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure, Nellie?" Blank asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright, if you say so."

Blank, Emerald and Ember waved goodbye and took off for the Grasslands, while Nellie proceeded to walk home for a while before taking to flight.

What none of them realized was, right at that moment, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur were hiding behind several of the Stone pillars of the Palace. They were observing the many students of the Palace, and were surprised to hear Nellie get mentioned by name.

"So, that is the Nellie that Rune has fallen for." Tyrrany said. "This was easier than I expected."

"What do we do now?" Arthur asked. "Follow her?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Look." Tyrrany pointed to a trio of dragons that started walking down the same direction that Nellie took a moment ago. They were led by a female Lightning dragon.

"It seems that somebody has beaten us to it." Flame said. "So what now?"

"We follow them from afar." Tyrrany said. She started walking forwards in the same direction, using the pillars to hide herself. Flame and Arthur followed suit.

…

Nellie flew towards her home, thinking the whole while. She wondered how she was going to defeat Roxanne. The Yellow dragoness's physical strength was superior to Nellie's. And to make matters worse, Roxanne never fought fairly. She always resorted to dirty tactics to gain the advantage in a fight. She was notorious for finding loopholes in match rules for her own benefit. Defeating her would not be an easy task.

Suddenly, as Nellie wasn't paying attention, a lightning bolt struck her in the side of one of her wings. The Water dragoness yelped in pain as she fell to the city streets below. When she finally regained control, she slowed her descent before she crashed into the ground, and landed gently. Behind her, she heard mocking laughter fill the air behind her. She turned to see Roxanne come to a landing, Aaron and Vaun close behind. Nellie growled.

"What the fuck was that for?" She demanded.

"That was to make us even." Roxanne said, smirking.

"What are you talking about? The rematch isn't until tomorrow!"

"Oh, I know that. I was just paying you back for getting the drop on me yesterday."

"YEAH!" Aaron shouted. "And tomorrow, you're going to going to get a whole lot MORE payment!"

Vaun laughed at the comment, even though it wasn't funny. Nellie sighed in contempt

"Just leave me alone, Roxanne. I have to get going."

"Aww, does poor Nellie have to go home because her Mommy's mad at her?" Roxanne chided.

"Shut up!"

"Luckily for me, my parents understand that you attacked me, and I was just acting in self-defense."

"That's a lie, and you know it!" Roxanne gleamed.

"Think what you will. Although, come tomorrow afternoon, you won't be doing much thinking after I've beaten you senseless!"

Aaron, Vaun and Roxanne burst into their awful laughter. Nellie growled in anger. She was about to attack again. Until….

"You know, there's an old saying….." Someone said behind Roxanne.

Roxanne and her cronies flinched all at once. They turned to see who spoke. It was a purple dragoness, who was wearing an odd black outfit over most of her body. Behind her to her left was a Red dragon, wearing a brown cloak and a pair of brown goggles over his eyes, and a small green dragonfly. The dragoness looked at Roxanne, staring at her with blood red eyes.

"…The higher the pedestal, the harder the fall."

"Who the fuck are you?" Roxanne demanded.

"That's not important. Now, leave Nellie alone, or you'll have to deal with me."

"Are you threatening me?" Roxanne demanded.

"Yes. I am."

"Nobody threatens me, you FREAK?"

With that comment, the dragoness's eyes flared with anger. In an instant, she suddenly moved behind Roxanne, in-between the yellow dragoness and Nellie. She then grabbed Roxanne by the tail and pulled her backwards, causing her to lose balance. Before Vaun or Aaron could react in time, the dragoness opened her mouth and unleashed Lightning breath on the both of them, sending them falling to the ground.

"Let go of me!" Roxanne demanded, trying to claw at the attacker. In that time, the dragoness signaled to her red companion to come aid her. The red dragon ran over and pinned Roxanne to the ground. The dragoness stood over Roxanne, a sneer on her face.

"Now, your quarrel is with Nellie, not me. I do not know why you are enemies, but it's obvious that you have an arranged fight as some time in the future. However, it is not today. When I tell Flame to release you, you will gather your two companions and leave. If you attack Nellie or me, you will suffer for it. Is that understood?"

Roxanne growled at her.

"I said…" The dragoness's eyes glowed with anger suddenly. "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

Roxanne, Nellie, and even the dragoness's ally yelped.

"Okay, okay, it's understood!" Roxanne pleaded. The dragoness sighed.

"Good. Flame, let her go."

"Alrighty." He said.

The red dragon got off of Roxanne, letting her get to her feet.

"Now, get going!" The dragoness yelled.

Quickly, Roxanne got Aaron and Vaun back onto their feet, and the trio flew away.

"You'll pay for this! Mark my words!" Roxanne snarled back to the dragoness.

"Yeah! Nobody messes with Rox and get's away with it!" Van exclaimed.

"…..except for Angry Anny" the dragonfly added to the end.

Once the trio was gone, The dragoness and her two companions turned to face Nellie.

"Um, thank you." Nellie said.

"Your welcome, toots!" The red dragon responded happily. "I'm Flame. The dragonfly's name is Arthur, and this is our ring leader…"

"..Call me Anny." The dragoness said.

"Are you three from out of town?" Nellie asked, looking the trio over. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"Yeah, we're from Faeshrine." Flame answered. "Anny's Dad sent us on an exhibition to explore the world for a while."

"Why?"

"Uh, it's a long story." Arthur replied.

"Your name is Nellie, correct?" Anny asked.

"Uh, yeah, but how did you know that?"

"I've heard word that Prince Rune of the dark dragon Monarchy was dating a Water dragon of the same name. Are you her?"

"Well, yes, I am."

"Is Rune currently in Glenhaven?"

"No, but he should be arriving soon, maybe tonight of tomorrow morning. Why?"

"Just a bit of curiosity." The red dragon decided to change the subject.

"Hey, what was 'rematch' thing that was mentioned a while ago about?" Flame asked.

"Oh, I got in a fight with Roxanne yesterday, and now I have to duel her in a rematch in the Glenhaven Palace arena tomorrow."

"Is that so?" Anny asked.

"Uh-huh."

"I see. The best of luck to you."

"Thanks, I-" Suddenly, Nellie realized something.

"Oh NO! I have to get home before my Mom thinks I ran off!"

The Water dragoness turned around and started to fly away.

"I've gotta go! Bye!"

"Bye, Nellie!" Flame called to her, waving. "Thanks for your time!"

As the blue dragoness vanished from view, Tyrrany stood in thought.

"A fight between the two dragonesses, eh?"

"You getting an idea, Anny?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Tomorrow, we're going to that rematch." Tyrrany turned and walked off.

"Come. We have work to do."

…

It was the start of the evening. Rune and Hontus were still asleep in the cave. But soon, Rune slowly awoke from slumber and opened his eyes…..

But his eyes weren't normal. Instead, the whites of his eyes were a sickening yellow color, and his Irises were those of a demon. He was Rune, and yet he wasn't Rune

The black dragon got to his feet and walked towards the front of the cave. He glanced over at the sleeping Hontus. He smirked.

You better not do anything to him!, his other self demanded.

"Relax. I won't do anything to your precious step-daddy." He responded out loud.

This was one of those points in time when Runefor took control of Rune's body. It was completely involuntarily; Rune was helpless to stop it. However, every time Runefor took temporary control, he never committed any crimes or acts of evil. Instead, he merely went outside and practiced his magical abilities, while Rune watched from the back of his mind. Over the past four years, Runefor had been growing stronger.

Runefor looked over the area before the cave. He spotted a deer frolicking through a valley nearby. He grinned, licking his lips.

"This is a perfect time to demonstrate how to use the sword." He said.

What do you mean?, Rune asked.

"Here, let me show you."

Runefor held out his paw, summoning the sword in a cloud of smoke.

"You see, Rune, you were right: a sword is next to useless in ground combat for a dragon. However…"

Runefor spread his wings, as if ready for flight. Instead of taking off, however, he used the Memory Element to levitate himself. The black dragon was floating in midair.

"…when a dragon is in flight, he doesn't need to use his front legs, thus freeing them to hold objects, like the sword."

So that's how father fought with it?

"Correct. And now, to put it to use."

Runefor took off into flight, heading right for the deer. When it spotted him, it fled for its life. However, it was no use. Runefor flew right past it, swinging his sword and decapitating the deer. The body twitched for a while, but eventually landed on the ground, blood pooling around it.

"And that is how you wield the sword." Runefor declared, sending the sword's energy back into his body.

Gruesome.

"But effective."

Runefor proceeded to consume his meal ravenously.. Rune grimaced the whole while.

Why do you have to eat that way?

"Because I prefer to." Runefor answered, swallowing a chunk of deer flesh. "If there's one thing we can agree to disagree upon, let it be our eating habits, okay?"

Oh, alright.

"By the way, Rune, when we finally arrive in Glenhaven, are you finally going to mate with Nellie?"

WHAT? Rune was completely shocked and appalled by Runefor's question,.

"I mean, come on! I can tell you've developed quite the sex drive since puberty started."

SHUT UP! Rune exclaimed angrily.

"And Nellie has grown into quite the lovely dragoness. I may have called her useless to us in the past, but now she has a use."

I SAID SHUT UP!

"I'm sure her kootch has become nice and leathery. And she's completely devoted to you. If you don't make a move soon, then I certainly will."

Stay the fuck away from Nellie, you son of a bitch! Rune screamed within Runefor's mind.

"Uh uh uh! We are the same person, Rune. If you call me a son of a bitch, then you're calling yourself a son of a bitch, which would be our mother, by the way."

I hate you!

"Typical response from the Dark half. Nothing but negative emotions."

Soon, once Runefor was finished with his meal, he flew back up to the cave, leaving the remains of the deer to rot. As he flew inside, he suddenly felt his control over his body slip away.

"And this is where we trade places again." He said.

Finally!

After a moment, Runefor's yellow, demonic eyes turned back into Rune's normal eyes. Rune had regained control.

Remember what I said, Rune. Runefor chided. If YOU don't mate with Nellie soon, then I shall, the next chance I get.

"Fuck you!" Rune exclaimed in anger. Runefor only laughed at him.

Rune's burst of anger woke Hontus up with a start.

"Hmm?"

Hontus got up onto his feet and looked down at the young black dragon.

"Who were you shouting at, Rune?"

"Uh…." Rune stammered. "No one."

"Huh." Hontus looked outside. "Oh my! It's good that you woke me up. We need to get going!"

"Um, right." Rune replied.

The two dragons flew out of the cave and headed south. All the while, Runefor taunted Rune to no end.

I'm going to pleasure her in ways you cannot imagine.


	3. Act 2, Chapter 6

Act 2, Chapter 6

That evening...

It was a disaster. For hours, many dragons and Nondragons alike struggled to put out the Magical fires that burned all around the Southern section of Warfang. The many dragons that _weren't _helping in the efforts were starting to panic. Most of them had children that were sent to The Nexus for safe keeping. Nobody suspected that a mighty flying fortress of such great size could be teleported away so easily.

After the last of the wild Green Fires had finally been extinguished, Elenar commanded all able-bodied men and women to set to work repairing the damage that had been caused to city property. Any salvagable materials were to be gathered and catalogued. As that effort was put together, Elenar had the remaining Deep Shadows patrol the city and do their best to calm down any dragons that were panicking at the loss of their children. Albanion had the hardest time doing this, for he was both enraged and griefing at the possession and abduction of Elza. Meanwhile , Elenar and Urobos organized the Warfang soldiers and had them gather any dead dragons and Nondragons that could be found. They would needed to be given a proper burial.

Elenar and Urobos wandered the city streets, watching the many dragons fall deep into despair. Some were crying in the streets, others roared in pain, and others still were driven into madness, destroying their own property in a frenzy of grief and rage. It was a horrible sight to behold.

"This is inexcusable!" Urobos exclaimed. "What kind of man would wish this upon hundreds of innocent dragons, even those of his own race!"

Elenar watched as a female Fire dragon approached her, tears streaming from her face.

"What do we do, your highness?" She begged. "Where are our children?" She bent low to the ground and cried, as her partner approached and placed a paw on her back.

Elenar looked upon the grieving dragoness with great sympathy. She stepped foward and placed a paw on the woman's shoulder.

"I wish I could tell you where the children are, but I cannot. All I can promise is that I and the Deep Shadows will do our best to see them safely returned to Warfang. You can be sure of that."

"Bless you, your majesty." The woman said, looking up at her. "Bless you!"

In truth, Elenar had to struggle to keep herself from collapsing into tears herself. Her people were suffering, her best friend and one of her sons was abducted, her daughter was missing, and her other son was in danger. And all because of Bergan.

"Bergan..." The Queen said with contempt.

A long time ago, Bergan and Elenar were best friends, along with Bane. Even after Bergan forced Elenar to mate with him, she had hoped that he was still a good man, deep within. That is why she trusted him with their child, all those years ago. And when Elenar was brought back to life, she had hoped to get back in touch with him, and finally meet her first child face to face for the first time, and apologize for not being there for them like she had for Rune and Cyrus.

But, it seems that Bergan had played her like a fool all along. He had no intention of letting Elenar see her daughter. Instead, it seems he planned of getting revenge on Elenar, for denying him the ability to take control of clan Aries. And where her daughter was, he would not say. The Queen finally realized that the Bergan she knew was long gone.

Later, once the matters had all been resolved or were almost resolved, and the Nondragon children had been returned to their parents, Elenar called for a meeting with Urobos and the remaining Deep Shadows: Grail, Albanio, Aegis, Lilith, Wraith and Nerona.

The eight dragons were in the Temple's Main chamber, sitting around the green pool of water.

"The first thing I want to know..." Elenar began. "..is how Bergan managed to get into Warfang and into The Nexus."

"It's possible he stowed away in the caravan that arrived from Faeshrine." Albanion said.

"What makes you believe that?" Urobos asked.

Albanion recounted his encounter with "Benjamin". He spoke of how the wagon went runaway, how the Purple dragon "saved" Rune from injury, how he sold them the Jade necklace and Gem, and how he appeared at the Gilded Scales Bar.

"This Jade necklace you mentioned." Elenar said. "What did it lookl like?"

"Well, your highness, it was very intricate, with specific patterns styled after the symbol of clans Libra and Aries, just like..." Albanion looked at the necklace around the Queen's neck. "Just like yours!" Elenar gasped, clutching the necklace.

"This necklace was a gift I received from Bergan around seventeen years ago." She said. "It is one of two that are completely identical. One was intended for me, and the other was intended to go to our daughter. I left the other one with him to give to Hope."

"Why would Bergan sell the necklace to Prince Rune?" Nerona asked.

"Maybe it was a coincidence." Grail answered.

"Or maybe," Urobos replied "Bergan was using the necklace as a clue."

"What do you mean, Urobos?" Wraith asked.

"I may not have known Bergan as well as my son or daughter-in-law, but I know the man's nature. He likes to manipulate others for his own pleasure and benefit. It's possible he intended for the necklace to be seen by Elenar when Rune was leaving for Glenhaven. If Elenar saw it, she would have recognized it, and wonder how got ahold of it."

"However, her highness was distracted by the sudden attack on Cyrus's life, by her own daughter." Grail added.

"In any case, Bergan left a subtle clue that he was in Warfang, right under our noses." Lilith replied.

"The Serenity Gem had a purpose as well." Elenar said.

"A purpose?" Aegis asked.

"Yes. Somehow, Bergan _knew_ that Albanion was looking for something incredible to give to Elza as a gift. So, disguised as Benjamin, he presented Albanion with the Serenity Gem. When I confronted Bergan and Elza in The Nexus, she was wearing the Gem around her neck still. As she wore it, she said nothing, and had a blank, zombie-like stare."

"The Gem was a Mind-Drainer!" Wraith and Aegis shouted in unison.

"Mind-Drainer?" Nerona asked.

"Elaborate!" Grail demanded. Aegis and Wraith looked between each other. Aegis began.

"A Mind-Drainer is a device that's used to cloud the judgement and memories of an individual, leaving them a Mindless puppet."

"The individual who wears it is completely at the command of the being who crafted the device." Wraith added.

"That explains Elza's behaviour in The Nexus, but why would Bergan wish to control her in the first place?" Urobos asked. Albanion snarled.

"I know not, but mark my words, I will make that man suffer for what he's done!"

"Here's the situation as I see it" Urobos began. "We need to find Bergan and The Nexus. If we find Bergan, we find Cyrus, Elza and the lost children."

"What could he possible want to do with them?" Nerona asked.

"I cannot say."

"I need to head south to Glenhaven." Elenar declared. "Rune is in danger, and I will not have all three of my children be missing. In the meantime, Grail?"

"Yes, your majesty?" He burly dragon asked.

"I hereby leave you in charge of Warfang while I'm gone."

"I will do my best to look after our people in your absence, your majesty."

"I know you will. Moving on, Albanion and Aegis?"

"Yes, your majesty?" The two asked.

"You two will accompany me during my trip south."

"I will give my life to preserve yours." Aegis said.

"As will I." Albanion added.

"That leaves Lilith and Nerona. You two will aid Grail in his efforts. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty." The two women said in unison.

"What about me?" Wraith asked.

"Wraith, you will be helping _me_." Urobos answered.

"What will you be doing, Urobos?" Elenar asked.

"I fear that another Disasterous Time is slowly approaching. I believe we will need to enlist the aid of some _old friends_, if you catch my meaning."

The room stayed silent: They knew who Urobos meant. After a moment, Elenar finally spoke up again.

"This meeting is over. All of you, go and prepare for your assigned duties. I must prepare to leave for Glenhaven."

One by one, the Deep Shadows left the throne room. Elenar then turned to face her father-in-law.

"Do you really think they'll aid us again?"

"Why do you doubt that they'd help, Elenar?"

"Last time, they were trying to prevent Malefor from rising again. This is a completely different matter. They may not see it as important enough."

"Don't be so sure of that so soon, Elenar." Urobos warned. "There is more than one evil dragon waiting in the Underworld."

"What do you mean?"

"Do not trouble yourself worrying about it. You handly your affairs, and leave the supernatural ones to me."

...

An hour or so later, Elenar had packed what little belongings she would need into a golden satchel, and walked to the front of the Temple. When she got there, she saw Albanion, Urobos, Aegis, Wraith and Grail waiting for her. When she approached, they bowed their heads.

"May The Great Shadow bless you safe passage on your journey." Grail said. She nodded.

"Thank you, Grail. May The Great Shadow grant you the strength to defend our people." She responded.

The Deep Shadows saluted each other, and then the entire group left the Temple, Grail watching them leave. Once they were outside, Urobos and Wraith stepped to the side.

"This is where we part ways." Urobos said.

"Where are you two headed?" Aegis asked.

"The remains of Mount Erebus." Wraith asked.

"There's something we need to do there." Urobos added. "I wish you three the best of luck on your journey." He turned to face Wraith. "Come. Let us be off."

"Yes, sir." He replied.

Urobos and Wraith spread their wings and took to flight, turning north to head to Mount Erebus. Meanwhile, Elenar, Albanion and Aegis took to flight as well, heading south.

"How long will it take us to get to Glenhaven?" Elenar asked.

"If we use our Dark Energy to power ourselves nonstop, we may be able to make it by tomorrow night." Albanion answered.

The three dragons flew across Warfang, heading into the Veros outskirts. As they flew, Aegis started speaking.

"I hope that Tina is alright." He said sadly.

"And I pray that Elza is unharmed." Albanion added. "And Prince Cyrus, and the other children. Who knows what Bergan plans to do with them?"

"Whatever he's planning, it cannot be good for our world." Elenar said. The two Deep Shadows agree.

Elenar stayed silent after this. She only thought to herself.

_Where is Hope, Bergan? What have you done with my daughter?_

...

Tyrrany stared out the window of the abandoned building, watching the night sky. She had removed her disguise and placed it into her silver satchel. She was holding her dagger in her hand, fidgeting with it. Downstairs, Flame and Arthur were sleeping peacefully. Tyrrany, however, wasn't so lucky. She hadn't been able to sleep all night. Instead, she was thinking about the events that would take place the following day.

_Tomorrow, I will sneak into the Glenhaven Palace and observe the battle between Nellie and the Yellow dragoness. As this happens, I will use my Memory element to manipulate the latter, forcing her to strike with the intent to kill. When any dragon other than my Black-hided brother tries to intervene, I will use the Space element to force them away. When Rune tries to stop the fight, the yellow will turn to kill __**him**__. Once this happens, I will step into the arena, and pull the yellow away and "Subdue" her, thus winning Rune's trust._

Tyrrany grinned, something she rarely did.

_Once I've won Rune's trust, I'll be one step closer to slaying that hateful serpent that is my mother!_

Tyrrany beamed with pride, thinking she was a genious. At first, she was satisfied with herself. But then, she started thinking about something else.

_Will it be right to manipulate the Blue girl? She hasn't meant or caused me any harm. And then there's Rune. His trust will be genuine. He'll think he's gained a sister. Who knows what he'll do when he learns that it was all a ploy to kill our shared mother._

A strange feeling crept up inside Tyrrany, a feeling she hadn't felt before. She felt...bad? Why? She would soon get what she wanted: The chance to kill the dragoness who abandoned her all that time ago. She should be happy with herself. And yet, there was something she didn't like about this.

_Rune has done nothing to wrong me. So why do I... _And then, Tyrrany snapped out of it.

_What am I saying? Rune, and Cyrus as well, were born to replace me! They got everything they ever wanted, while I got NOTHING! And even after SHE died and went to the Underworld, she was revived somehow, and STILL acted as though I never existed!_

Tyrrany growled.

_Damn her! And damn Rune and Cyrus as well! What do I care if Rune feels betrayed? I was betrayed before I even hatched!_

Tyrrany stabbed her dagger into the wall beside her. She then roared with rage out the window. She then stared out it, anger in her eyes.

_You will suffer, mother! I swear it! I'll make you beg for mercy before me, and then I'll give you NONE!_

...

It was the middle of the night when Hontus and Rune finally arrived in Glenhaven. The streets were as silent as a mouse. It seemed as though not a single creature was awake in the city...except for one. Far off on the southern side of Glenhaven, a dragon roared at the top of its breath. Why it did so, neither one of the two could guess.

"What do you think that's about?" Rune asked.

"I wouldn't know, Rune." The Fire Guardian answered. "But it's best not to worry about it."

The two flew off to the West, where Hontus's home was. When they came to a landing, Hontus whispered to the young black dragon.

"Try not to make too much noise." He said. "The others are probably sleeping by now."

Rune nodded in understanding. Hontus then turned to the door, undid the magical lock on it, and stepped inside, Rune following close behind. Once they were both inside, the young black dragon slowly locked the door behind them, the magical lock resetting.

"Go put your belongings in your room." Hontus whispered. "I'll go wake up Seraph."

"Okay." Rune responded.

With that, the two dragons separated. Hontus went to his chamber, while Rune went to his. The black dragon walked inside and placed his satchel on the floor by his straw bed. He spent a moment to look out his window. He saw the same image of the Glenhaven Palace silhouetted against the night sky, just like always. He smiled.

_Home sweet Home_, he thought.

_**I would say it was bittersweet, really**_, Runefor remarked.

_Shut up,_

Rune turned around and crept back into the hallway. Down the hall, he could tell the light was on in Hontus and Seraph's chamber. He could hear Seraph's voice. She was awake.

"Where is he?" She asked Hontus.

"He should be in his room right about now." Her husband asnwered.

In a moment, Seraph walked out of their chamber and down the hall, towards Rune. The black dragon smiled.

"Hi, Seraph." He greeted happily. He walked fowards, and the two hugged each other.

"It's so good to see you, sweetie!" Seraph said happily. "I hope you had a safe trip."

_**Ugh. What an obnoxious woman!**_

"My trip went okay." Rune said, ignoring Runefor. "How're Blank and Nellie doing?" Seraph sighed.

"Well, Blank's doing as well as he always does. Nellie, however..."

"What?" Seraph turned to face Hontus, who had walked up to them.

"We need to talk about your daughter." Hontus grimaced.

"Did something happen while I was away?"

"I should say yes. We'll talk about it back in our room." Seraph turned back to Rune. "You can make yourself at home, Rune."

"Okay!" Rune replied, smiling

And with that, Hontus and Seraph returned to their room to discuss whatever matter it was that involved Nellie. Meanwhile, Rune turned to go lie down in his room. However, he decided to do something else first.

"Nellie." He said to himself. Rune turned and headed towards Nellie's room, which was nearby.

He slowly opened the door to her room and crept inside. He saw Nellie lying on her bed, sleeping peacefully. He smiled, listening to her quiet breathing.

_**Up to something, Rune?**_

_Shut up._

Rune slowly walked up to the sleeping Water dragoness and stood over her. He whispered as he spoke.

"Hey, Nellie. Your nerd's back in town." He said to her. "I don't want to disurb you right now, so I guess I'll greet you again tomorrow. Until then..." Rune bent his head down and kissed Nellie softly on the cheek. "...That will have to do. Goodnigtht, Nellie."

Rune turned and walked towards the hallway. As he did this, Runefor spoke again.

_**Is that all that you're going to do?**_

_Yes._

_**She's asleep, you know. She'd be completely unable to stop you from having your way with her.**_

_Shut up!_

_**You and I both know that you want to have her.**_

_This conversation is over!_

When Rune was back in the hallway, he looked back inside the room at the sleeping Nellie. He shut the door to her room and walked away, towards his room.

_**You KNOW you want her body.**_

_Shut up!_

_**It wouldn't be hard to get it.**_

_I'm not ready!_

_**You could have her lying on her back beneath you in only a moment.**_

_STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT!_

After this, Runefor stopped talking. Rune breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally."

Rune entered his room, shut the door, and laid down on his staw bed. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, Runefor spoke to him one last time.

_**If you don't have her consent willingly, then I'll inevitably take her by force. Either way, her body will belong to US.**_


	4. Act 2, Chapter 7

Act 2, Chapter 7

Cyrus woke with a start. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He was in a small dungeon cell, behind the bars. Oddly enough, the door to the cell was wide open, and he was lying on a soft mattress. And the dungeon cell was brightly lit. The prince was confused.

"What happened?" Cyrus asked out loud.

The last thing he remembered, Cyrus was in the Chapel of The Nexus. He was knocked unconscious by Elza shortly after he and his mother confronted Bergan. And now, he was lying in this strange cell.

"I need to find out where I am."

The young black dragon got off the mattress and walked forwards. When he looked outside the dungeon cell entrance, he became even _more_ confused. All up and down the dungeon hall, all of the dungeon cell rooms were wide open, and the hall was brightly lit. Cyrus had a look around the other dungeon cells. In each one, there were several young dragons, Light and Dark alike, lying asleep on fine mattresses. All of the cell doors were wide open.

And then, Cyrus remembered.

"This is one of The Nexus's dungeons." Cyrus exclaimed. The children he saw were sent from Warfang to take shelter here. They were placed under a spell to make them sleep so they didn't panic because of the raging Fires that were spreading in the city streets. This was a haven, not a prison: That's why the cell doors were left open.

"Wait, how did I end up in a cell?" He asked himself. He looked down both sides of the hallway. "I wonder where Tina is?" He asked.

The black dragon spent a good hour wandering up one side of the hallway, going into each dungeon cell and searching for Tina. Eventually, he spotted a pattern: The dragons in the cells got younger and younger the further down he went. That meant that the dragons would become older if he went in the other direction.

"I've been going the wrong way!" Cyrus complained. He turned around and started running the other way. After backtracking his steps, he started inspecting the many young dragons again, until he came to dragons around his and Tina's age. The odd thing was, these dragons should've been awake. They were never placed under the same spell as the younger dragons, since they're old enough to stay calm during a crisis.

"Weird…" The black dragon said.

At first, Cyrus decided to just ignore this fact and continue searching for Tina. After spending another half hour or so looking over every dragon, he finally found her. She was curled up on a red mattress, sleeping peacefully.

"Tina, wake up!" He shouted, shaking her roughly. At first, he had no luck. He thought for a minute.

"She must be under the spell. I'll have to use magic." For a moment, Cyrus thought to himself, doing his best to remember what Wraith taught him about Sleep Spells.

"Let's see, Wraith said that Sleep spells fall under the Memory element. To wake up a being under a sleeping spell calmly, I have to use the Memory element to bombard their mind and interrupt the being's dream abruptly, or something." Cyrus grimaced, shaking his head. "Oh, I suck at Memory magic! I'll have to try the direct approach."

Cyrus placed a paw on Tina's belly. "Sorry about this, Tina!"

The black dragon sent a tiny blast of Lightning through the dragoness's body. As it shocked her, Tina suddenly jolted upright.

"Hey!" She shouted. "What was _that_ for?"

Cyrus shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't know any other way to wake up."

Tina glared at him for a while, but then looked around.

"Is the crisis over?" She asked. "Can we go back down to Warfang now?"

"I don't know." Cyrus answered. "But we need to find my Mom."

"Why?"

"There's this guy named Bergan running around, and he's controlling Elza somehow. The last thing I can remember, my Mom was about to fight him, I think."

"Huh?"

"I know, it's weird, but we need to get going, before Bergan finds us first." Tina stared at Cyrus blankly.

"Are you pulling my leg, Runt?"

"Of course not!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Come on, we've gotta get going!"

"If you say so, Runt."

Cyrus and Tina left the dungeon cell and headed down the hall way. They were running towards the Hallway's front end, where opened up to a flight of stairs and other parts of the Fortress.

"Where do you think we should look?" Tina asked.

"Well, the last place I can remember Mom being was the Chapel." Cyrus answered. "Let's check there."

After turning around a few corners and wandering through some corridors, the two young dragons came to a staircase, which led up to one of the Chapel's back exits. Cyrus flew up the stairs as fast as he could, Tina racing behind him.

"Wait up, Cyrus!" She protested. "I'm not as fast as you!" The black dragon rolled his eyes.

Cyrus burst through the doors, Tina following close behind. The two were standing in the Left corner of the room, away from the Chapel's front.

"Mom?" Cyrus asked, looking around. "Mom, are you-?"

Cyrus gasped when he spotted the front of the Chapel Altar. The statue of his father Bane had been smashed into pieces. The chunks of black stone had been neatly placed into seven piles around the altar. Sitting before the Altar, drinking from a glass of red wine, was a Purple dragon with three horns. It was Bergan.

Bergan set his glass down and looked right at the two young dragons. He smiled.

"Ah, your highness. I honestly expected you to arrive a few hours ago." Cyrus snarled.

"Where's my mother!" He demanded. Bergan got up from the Altar.

"Oh, don't worry about Elenar. She should be on her way to Glenhaven by now." The Purple dragon started walking towards the two dragons. The black dragon responded by activating his Time element, turning the whole world a bluish tint. He then charged forwards, intent on stabbing Bergan with his talons. But a moment later, Bergan suddenly stepped out of the way of Cyrus's charge. The Larger dragon chuckled as the younger dragon went flying past him.

"Silly boy. I possess Time magic as well." He said. Cyrus spun around as his Time element wore off. Bergan suddenly appeared in front of him.

"And in any case, I have no intention of harming you."

"But you had plenty of intention of doing that earlier!" Cyrus snapped. Cyrus charged forwards again, but Bergan simply stepped away again, dissatisfaction on his face.

"That was a mistake, I assure you. You have my full apologies for having Elza harm you."

Cyrus turned around and glared up at the Purple dragon. Tina ran up to stand next to the black dragon.

"Where _is_ Miss Elza?" Tina asked.

"Oh, she's around here somewhere, young lady." Bergan answered, grinning. "Don't worry about her."

"You won't get away with holding her, us, or any of the other children captive!" Cyrus snarled.

"Captive?" Bergan looked shocked at the accusation. "Why, I haven't held any of the children captive! They're free to come and go as they please! You two were able to leave the dungeons and come all the way up here yourselves." He pointed a front leg at the Chapel's front entrance. "You're free to leave The Nexus, if you wish."

Cyrus glared up at Bergan skeptically.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not. You and your little friend there may leave this fortress at any time."

"Then we're leaving _now_!" Bergan smirked.

"As you wish."

Cyrus turned to look at Tina. "Come on, Tina. We're heading down to Warfang."

"Alright." She responded.

The two young dragons walked to the front of the Chapel. Bergan watched them the whole time.

"Have a nice day, your highness!" He said in a friendly manner.

"Asshole." Cyrus said under his breath.

As the two young dragons stepped out onto the outer grounds of The Nexus, they gasped in shock.

"Holy shit!" Cyrus exclaimed.

They were definitely in The Nexus. But The Nexus wasn't floating above Warfang. In fact, it didn't even look like The Nexus was in the Dragon Realms anymore.

The Nexus was floating in an endless, iridescent void. Off in the distance was a series of small, floating platforms, which circled around two gigantic pillar of Purple Energy that extended outwards and eventually spread out into giant cyclones high up in the air and far below. Cyrus could see several gigantic, squid-like creatures floating around in distant reaches of the void.

Cyrus couldn't help but look around in wonder. In some ways, he found this place incredible. But in other ways, he found it frightening. He wanted to explore this strange new world, but he also wanted to flee back inside the chapel.

"What _is_ this place?" Tina asked. "How did we get here?"

The two young dragons heard Bergan chuckling behind them. He suddenly appeared behind them.

"This is a realm known as Convexity." The Purple dragon said. "It is a dimension that exists between the Dragon realms, and the Underworld. It is also where the term 'Convexity energy' received its name, because this realm is the source of it."

Cyrus snarled at Bergan.

"How do we get back to the Dragon Realms?" He demanded. Bergan grinned.

"Well, I'm certainly not about to tell you."

"You two-faced liar!" Bergan cocked an eyebrow.

"When did I lie?"

"You said that we could return to Warfang!"

"What I _said_ was that you were free to leave The Nexus at anytime. I did _not_ say that I would show you the way back to the Dragon Realms."

"You tricked us!"

"Now, now, young dragon. You never asked where The Nexus currently was."

Cyrus roared with anger. He used his Wind element to launch into the air and hurtle towards Bergan, talons ready to slash at his chest. Bergan instantly moved behind Cyrus as the black dragon continued on his path. Before Cyrus could change course, Bergan opened his mouth and struck Cyrus across the back of the head with a blast of Lightning breath. The black dragon fell out of the air, twitching in pain.

Meanwhile, Tina lunged at Bergan, attempting to sink her teeth into one of his legs. Unfortunately, the Purple dragon dodged out of the way and grabbed the young dragoness by her neck with his Left arm. She struggled helplessly at his grip. She was unable to speak.

"You know," Bergan said. "I am getting tired of you two trying to attack me."

Cyrus struggled back onto his feet and turned to face the Purple dragon.

"Put her down." Bergan cocked an eyebrow.

"Or what?"

Cyrus growled, and prepared to lunge again. However, right as he started, Bergan tightened his grip around Tina's neck, choking her. Cyrus gasped.

"Uh uh uh!" Bergan said, waving a talon back and forth. "That's a bad idea."

"NO! Stop that!" He pleaded. "Let her go!"

"I was hoping to strike a deal with you earlier," Bergan began saying coldly. "However, it seems that, once again, I must resort to violence instead of reason."

"What do you want?"

"You will walk back into the Chapel and do as I command, by the letter. If you attempt to defy me, I will snap your young friend's neck like a twig. Once you are finished, I will release her from my grip. Understood?"

Cyrus looked into Bergan's blood red eyes with anger. He then glanced at Tina's eyes, which seemed to be pleading to him to help her. Unable to think of another way to save Tina, the black dragon sighed in defeat.

"Fine." He said, bowing his head in submission. "I'll do what you say."

An evil grin spread across Bergan's face.

"Good. Now, first, you will step back inside the Chapel."

Cyrus turned around and entered inside the building. Bergan followed him, his grip still wrapped around Tina's neck. To Cyrus's surprise, Elza was now standing before the Altar, watching the three dragons approach. She still had the same blank expression on her face.

As Cyrus got closer, he started pleading to the Green Deep Shadow.

"Why are you helping him, Elza?" He exclaimed. "Can't you see that he's evil?"

Bergan chuckled.

"Evil? Oh no. I'm just a man." He grinned again. "And in any case, she won't help you. She only answers to me." Bergan then fixed his gaze on the green dragoness.

"Elza, be a dear and summon some Crepsculi for me."

The dragoness only nodded. Next, she held out a paw and summoned an orb of darkness, which she dropped to the floor. In a moment, a pool of darkness spread across the floor, which about a dozen Crepsculi crawled out of. Cyrus got on his guard.

"What do you need _them_ for?" He demanded.

"They're an extra precaution, in case you try to attack me again." Bergan answered.

"But you wouldn't need them!"

"Or so you think. But that is not important." Bergan suddenly moved behind the altar in an instant. Tina still struggled, but to no avail.

"Climb up onto this altar."

"Why?"

"Just do so."

Cyrus sighed and did as Bergan commanded. He lied down on his back, folding his wings in. As soon as the black dragon did this, Elza produced several Bronze shackles.

"What are those for?" Cyrus asked.

"Do not ask questions." Bergan responded coldly. "And do not resist."

Cyrus shuddered. He didn't like where this was going. Elza fastened four of the shackles around the black dragon's wrists, and a Bronze collar around his neck.

"What are you going to do to me?" Cyrus asked nervously.

"Why, it's an experiment." Bergan replied.

"Uh, what kind of experiment?"

"You see, your highness, quite a while ago I became quite fascinated by the power of Convexity. Since I cannot wield it myself, I've had to augment my body with Fury Gems, which have enabled me to wield it artificially. After this, I began studying ancient texts in several libraries across the world, finding anything I could on the subject. The name that came up the most in association to Convexity, was Malefor."

"Malefor?"

"Yes. I'm sure we all know his great list of evil deeds. But, the one deed I found most interesting was his corruption of The Great Shadow. Did you know that it was Convexity that enabled him to do this?"

"How?"

"Convexity has an interesting effect on a dragon. If it's built up into massive quantities inside a dragon's body, it forces the dragon to grow greater in size. The older the dragon is, then the larger they grow. Although, Purple dragons seem to be exempt from this rule. Typical Purples: always having strange and unique effects on the world."

"Okay, but what does this have to do with me?"

"The younger a dragon is, the more corrupt by the Convexity they become as the energy reaches incredible amounts. Therefore, a hatchling made a perfect pawn for Malefor's game. But I got to wondering: What if Malefor corrupted not just _one_ young dragon, but _scores_ of them?"

"What are you….."

"As luck would have it, I recently discovered a way to teleport to _THIS_ incredible place, the realm of Convexity. With so much Convexity energy here, I will be able to convert the entire child population of Warfang, into my own personal army of obedient beasts, ones with abilities far superior to those of normal dragons!"

Cyrus gasped.

"No!"

"Yes." Bergan said, snapping his talons. Suddenly, the four shackles and the collar glowed with black energy. They also became very heavy, pinning Cyrus onto the Altar. He was trapped.

"You are the first dragon to be transformed."

Bergan tossed Tina to the side. When she landed on the floor, Elza ran over and struck her with Wind breath. As Tina crumpled under the larger dragoness's attack, Elza produced a leather muzzle and forced it onto Tina's face. She also chained Tina's ankles together with more shackles, rendering her helpless to fight back. Tina just lied on the floor as several of the Crepsculi surrounded her.

Meanwhile, Bergan removed his black stocking from his front left leg, revealing his BioCybernetic arm. Cyrus gasped at the sight. The Purple dragon turned and looked up at the three stained glass windows above the Altar, holding his metal arm in the air.

"Behold." He said. He produced a Purple Gem and inserted it into a hidden slot on Bergan's left palm. It instantly started glowing Purple. As this happened, Bergan's eyes glowed completely red.

"With so much Convexity energy here, the possibilities are endless!"

Soon, a great pool of Purple energy flowed through the windows and surrounded the Altar. The energy flowed around at incredible, dizzying speeds. Cyrus had to fight the urge to throw up. His heart beat rapidly in fear.

Nearby, Tina was panicking.

"Stop it!" She begged. Bergan didn't listen to her. Instead, he simple turned around and pointed his Metal arm at Cyrus's chest.

"This will truly be an incredible experience for you." He said to the young black dragon. "You may find that you're not yourself."

The Purple energy started flowing into Cyrus's body. The young black dragon began twitching uncontrollably. He howled in pain.

"Let him go!" Tina pleaded. The Purple dragon turned his head and looked at the dark yellow dragoness.

"Don't be afraid of the prince's new form." He said. "You will become just like him soon enough."

Bergan turned his gaze back to the black dragon, and gasped in delight.

"It's starting!"

Cyrus began growing. His limbs became longer and broader. His wings expanded. His tail grew longer than the Altar. His bluish-green eyes turned completely purple….

When Cyrus finished growing, he unleashed a mighty roar, one that filled the entire Chapel. The Crepsculi stepped away from the black dragon. Tina whimpered in fear. And Bergan grinned triumphantly.

"Perfect."


	5. Act 2, Chapter 8

Act 2, Chapter 8

It was a few hours into the morning. After a great bit of traveling, the ship known as the Sweet Memories finally arrived at the southern edge of the Arcus Desert. The ship pulled up as close as it could get to the desert beach, and turned to starboard. Once it finally came to a stop, the large hatch door on the side opened up, and formed a bridge for the ship's passengers to step across to get to shore. Several wagons and carriages drove out of the Ship and parked along the beach. Anthony and Richard exited the ship as well, heading towards the caravan. They were pleased.

The trip from Dante's Holocaust was a productive one. They spread the word to the Mole scientists and engineers on board on how to use the power of the Purple Gems to artificially wield Dark energy. So naturally, the Moles set to work, crafting numerous copies of the metal gauntlet that Anthony possessed. Some were designed to be worn by Cats, while others were made to fit dragons. After the gauntlets were passed around to a vast majority of the many employees onboard the Sweet Memories, they were lined up and placed onto several Wagons and Carriages that were placed onboard the ship before it left Faeshrine.

Anthony and Richard were surveying the caravan, the moons shining light upon them. They were all ready to leave immediately.

"What shall we do once we arrive in Glenhaven?" Richard asked.

"Let's see what the next scroll says." Anthony answered. The red dragon pulled a scroll form his satchel and read to himself for a moment.

"Hmmm…" He said.

"What is it?"

Anthony closed the scroll and put it away.

"When we arrive in Glenhaven, we are to make sure that the caravans seem to be nothing more than traveling traders. As this is done, we systematically have several of the warriors in the caravan surround the Glenhaven Palace. By the afternoon, we are to make sure that nobody leaves the building, and that nobody else enters inside."

"That is quite the odd direction for Bergan to leave us." Richard responded. "But, if that is what he wants us to do, then we shall do it."

"Aye."

The dragon and dragonfly walked forwards, preparing to board one of the carriages. As one of the Mole chauffeurs opened the carriage door, Richard spoke again.

"I wonder how our sons are doing on their mission?"

"I wonder this as well." Anthony responded. "I almost wish Bergan didn't allow his daughter to hunt down and slay Queen Elenar."

"Why is that?"

"The regicide will be a very serious event. If word gets around that the daughter of the President of the Faeshrine Trading Company is the one responsible, who knows what kind of political conflict will arise? We could be on the cusp of another war."

"Remember: Bergan is a genius. He has probably already planned an alibi for his daughter."

"Perhaps you're right."

The dragon and dragonfly boarded the carriage and settled down. After a moment, the wagons and carriages started moving, and the caravan headed north, across the Arcus desert, and towards the city of Glenhaven.

…

Urobos and Wraith traveled as fast as they could to Mount Erebus. They would have just teleported there, were it not for the Magical barrier placed around the mountain that prevented those who weren't of royal blood from entering without permission from a royal. Urobos would have to grant Wraith access to enter once they arrived there.

After several long hours of traveling and expending their Dark energy, The Elder and the Deep Shadow finally arrived at the Mountain. The land had changed in climate since the fall of The White Beast four years ago. Gone was the everlasting snowstorm that plagued the mountains for centuries. Instead, the climate had become warmer. More green plants started growing where it was previously too cold. In the center of the remains of the Mountain range, there stood the massive elevated crater that used to be Mount Erebus. No longer was the Pit of the Fallen hidden within the mountain. It was now exposed, for all to see, if they were around. A massive Green Dome of magic encased the entire Mountain: The precaution set up to keep intruders away from the Pit of the Fallen.

The two dragons came to a landing just before the Dome. Wraith looked up at it in awe.

"Man, I still can't believe it's been four years since we last came here." He said. "Time sure flies, eh Urobos?" The old black dragon chuckled.

"It certainly seems that way."

"So, how do go inside?"

"It's simple."

Urobos stepped forward, walking through the magic barrier seamlessly, as if it wasn't even there. Wraith tried to follow him, but found that the Dome was solid as stone, preventing him from entering.

"Hey!" He complained. Urobos chuckled.

"I haven't invited you in yet."

The old dragon extended a paw back through the barrier.

"Take my paw."

Shrugging, Wraith did as Urobos said. The old dragon then pulled Wraith forwards. The barrier allowed the Deep Shadow to pass through.

"Well, the barrier definitely works." Wraith said. "Anyway, shall we get going, then?"

"Yes, we shall."

Urobos and Wraith took to the air, flying up to the Mountain's exposed top.

"Say, how come we had to travel all the way to the Pit of the Fallen to get into contact with two?" Wraith asked. "Couldn't we just contact them from Warfang? And you know something else? Why couldn't _they_ just contact _us _while we were still in Warfang?"

Urobos sighed.

"Four years ago, Spyro was temporarily brought back to life, while Cynder stationed herself within The Nexus. I couldn't use the ritual to speak to the dead to reach Spyro, because he was alive at the time. Cynder was between life and death: The magic of her Chapel gave her a physical form, but she was still a spirit. And although I could contact her at anytime, it didn't work in reverse. Cynder can only walk as a living spirit in sacred places, like The Nexus's chapel, and the Pit of the Fallen. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it, I guess." Wraith answered.

"Furthermore, If they agree to aid us, then they'll need to leave the Underworld through the Pit of the Fallen."

"Right. Do you think they'll help us?"

"We can only try to find out."

Wraith and Urobos came to a landing on the platform that was adjacent to the massive Crevice in the earth. Unlike the Mountain around it, the Pit of the Fallen had remained completely unchanged, its great green light ever-present deep within.

Urobos sighed. The old dragon had not returned here for four years, ever since his son Bane sacrificed himself to keep the essence of Malefor contained within him. Urobos missed his son, and wished that there was another way to imprison Malefor. But, he knew that there was _nothing else_ that could've been done. He grew to accept this eventually, but the pain was still there.

"Are you okay, Urobos?" Wraith asked. The Old dragon shook his head.

"I am fine." He drew a dagger and unsheathed it. "Let us begin."

Urobos sliced a gash in his paw, gritting his teeth as he did so. Next, he spread his blood on the platform floor, creating a circle of blood. Once he finished this, he put away the dagger and tended to his wound. Meanwhile, Wraith charged the blood circle with Dark energy. Black fire appeared on the blood, which slowly grew in size.

Urobos spoke to it.

"I call upon the spirits of the Legendary Purple dragon Spyro, and the dragoness known as Cynder, The Great Shadow. If they wishes to speak to a humble old man, let them appear before me."

At first, nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?" Wraith asked.

"Be patient, my young friend." Urobos reassured.

Soon, the green light grew brighter and brighter. Something was coming out of the Pit. Two great spirits flew out of the Pit of the Fallen: A Purple one and a Black one. When they came to a landing before the Elder and the Deep Shadow, they took on the forms of large, transparent dragons. It was them: Spyro and Cynder.

Urobos and Wraith bowed their heads to the dragons.

"It is an honor to meet with you again." The Elder said.

"_There is no need to bow before us, Urobos._" Cynder replied. "_You and your allies have served us well in the past._"

Urobos and Wraith stood up straight again.

"_I had a feeling you would come to speak with us._" Spyro said.

"You did?" Wraith asked, incredulous.

"_Yes._" The Black dragoness answered. "_Something seriously wrong has happened. Recently, I suddenly found myself unable to enter The Nexus. Something forced me away from it when I tried to get inside._"

"_We knew that the dragons of Warfang have been using The Nexus as a school and shelter for their children,_" Spyro added, "_So naturally, we assumed something terrible occurred, and you, Urobos, would come to seek our aid._"

"You are correct." The Elder replied. "The Nexus, and the children inside it, have been whisked away by a man named Bergan. My grandson Cyrus is among those who were kidnapped."

"_Bergan?_" Cynder asked. "_Is that not the name of the dragon who started the Twilight war?_"

"It is the same man. I don't know what he is planning, but he seems to be coming close to finishing it." Urobos knelt down and looked between the two Spirits. "Spyro, Cynder, I ask you as an Elder of Warfang, and as an old man who's lost one of his grandchildren: Will you please lend us your aid in our quest to see Warfang's children returned?"

The two Spirits looked between each other. They then looked down at the Elder.

"_The people of Warfang are __**our**__ people as well._" Spyro answered.

"_We will do everything we can to see the children returned._" Cynder added.

"Thank you, you two." Urobos said.

"_However, like the previous time, we cannot have anyone knowing we are stepping in._"

"I understand completely." Urobos responded.

"Well _I_ don't!" Wraith replied. "Why would it be wrong for people to know you're around again?"

"_Our time in the spotlight ended long ago._" Spyro said. "_Many heroes have come after us since Cynder and I died. It is time for __**this**__ generation's heroes to be heralded, not those of the past._"

"Uh….right." Wraith responded. Cynder chuckled.

"What?" The Deep Shadow asked.

"_Do not worry about it._" Wraith rolled his eyes.

Spyro and Cynder turned and faced each other. Each one of the two Spirits held out their front right paw and pointed it at the other. Each Spirit summoned an orb of pure White light, which became a great beam of energy, which struck the other Spirit in the chest. Both Spirits became engulfed in light, which was so bright that Urobos and Wraith had to avert their eyes.

When the light faded away, Spyro and Cynder were Spirits no more. Their transparent forms had become solid. The burning black fire that summoned them had faded away. Spyro and Cynder were alive.

Spyro took a moment to look over his new body, stretching and forming fists with his front paws. When he spoke, his voice was an earthly one instead of otherworldly.

"Bound to mortal flesh once again." He said.

"We will not be able to raise anyone from the dead for the next five years." Cynder warned. "If any of your allies are slain in that time, we will not be able to help them. Instead, you will have to gather the needed Gems and perform the ritual here."

"Understood." Urobos replied.

"Well, now that you two are alive again," Wraith began. He turned to look at Urobos during the next part of his statement. "..Where do we begin looking for Bergan?"

"How does looking right behind you sound?"

The four dragons gasped. They looked behind Urobos and Wraith, but no one was there.

"Who said that?" Spyro asked.

"Why, _I _did, Lord Spyro."

Suddenly, a portal of pure darkness appeared a good distance away from the four dragons. Out of the portal, came a Purple dragon with three horns, a golden mane, and blood red eyes. The dragon was grinning.

"It is a pleasure to meet the Purple dragon who thwarted Malefor and the dragoness who escaped his control." Bergan faked a bow. "I am truly humbled."

"It take it that _you_ are Bergan." Cynder said coldly.

"You are correct, my lady."

Spyro and Cynder remained calm in the face of their enemy, but Wraith struggled to keep from attacking. Urobos was enraged as well, but he had an easier time hiding it than the Deep Shadow.

"How did you know were here?" Urobos asked in contempt.

"Nothing told me you were all here," the Purple dragon replied, smiling. "So, I thought I'd pay you a visit, see how you were all doing."

"What have you done with the children?" Spyro demanded.

"Oh, don't worry about them. Once they've served their purpose, you may have them back. But I'm keeping The Nexus; it belongs to me."

"What do you want with them?" Wraith exclaimed. Bergan chuckled.

"Would you like me to give you all….a hint?"

The four dragons became confused by this.

"What do you mean?" Urobos asked. Bergan grinned.

"Here's an example of what I've done to the children…"

Just as he said this, another portal appeared behind him. The Purple dragon stepped to the side, out of the way of whatever was about to come out of the portal. Suddenly, a large black dragon, bigger than even Urobos, flew out of the Portal at great speed. The four dragons had to dodge out of the way to avoid being hit. The Giant Black dragon turned around in a giant arc in the air, and turned to face the group, hovering above the Pit of the Fallen. The beast roared at the others.

It appeared to be female, but had the broad face of a male. It's grey mane fell down in a wild mess. It had four long, grey horns: Two that grew backwards on it head, and two more that took on the shape of tusks. It's eyes were a deep purple glow. It had four Bronze shackles around its ankles and a Bronze collar around it's neck.

Urobos gasped. He saw that the Giant had four glowing red birthmarks: Two on its sides, and two on it's front upper legs.

"Cyrus!" Urobos exclaimed. "That's Cyrus!"

The others gasped.

"WHAT?" Wraith shouted, incredulous.

The giant Cyrus suddenly flew forwards, firing a blast of Black Energy out of his mouth: Concurrence. Once again, the other dragons dodged out of the way. Cyrus turned and came to a landing beside Bergan, who was smirking.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Bergan asked. Cynder snarled.

"What have you done to him?" She demanded.

"The same thing Malefor did to _you_, Cynder." He answered. "I have used the power of Convexity to transform young Cyrus into this magnificent being. The same thing's been done to the other children."

"How could you possibly accomplish that?' Spyro demanded.

"Well, I'm not about to reveal _all_ of my secrets." Bergan looked up at the transformed Cyrus. "How do you feel, your highness?"

When Cyrus spoke, his voice was not his own.

"I feel…..incredible." He said, smiling evilly. "This must be how Rune felt when _he_ received this power!"

"Good, that's very good." The purple dragon replied. "Why don't you demonstrate to this group what you can do for a moment or two?"

"Gladly."

Cyrus proceeded to strike at the other four dragons, Unleashing blast after blast of Black energy at them. The adult dragons only dodged out of the way, not wanting to harm the possessed boy.

"Cyrus, stop this!" Urobos pleaded. "This isn't you!" He stepped up to the giant Cyrus, hoping to reason with him. Cyrus only fired a blast of Concurrence at the old dragon, hitting him in the chest and sending him crashing against a wall.

"Pathetic old man!" Cyrus bellowed. He was about to slash at the weakened Urobos, But Spyro and Wraith blocked his path, having no choice but to fight him. Spyro attacked with White energy blasts: Convergence. And Wraith teleported behind Cyrus's head, grabbing his larger horns and trying to pull him backwards. Bergan watched the spectacle, laughing with enjoyment.

Meanwhile, Cynder was helping Urobos get back onto his feet. The old dragon had started to cry.

"Why is he doing this?" He asked.

"He cannot help it, Urobos." Cynder said. "If his corruption is the same as mine was, he's completely unable to stop himself."

Once Urobos was upright again, Cynder turned and joined in the battle. She fired a blast of Fear breath at Cyrus, attempting to weaken his fighting spirit. The possessed black dragon only fought through the attack, continuing in his attempt to kill the others.

"What?" Cynder exclaimed. "Why didn't it do anything?" Nearby, Bergan laughed at the failed attempt.

"He has the same elements as you now, Cynder: Poison, Shadow and Fear now belong to him. And he's immune to all of them."

Enraged, Cynder turned and tried to attack Bergan. However, the Purple dragon dodged out of the way instantly, and struck Cynder across her back with a blast of Lightning breath. She fell to the floor, twitching in pain.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Spyro bellowed. The purple dragon tuned and fired a giant blast of Convexity at Bergan. The latter Purple dragon just stood in place grinning as the energy charged towards him. A barrier of strange energy appeared around Bergan, shielding him from the attack. The energy shifted between the colors White and Black at random, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. In any case, Bergan was completely unharmed.

Spyro was dumbstruck.

"How did you do that?" He demanded. Bergan chuckled.

"The Nothing gave me this power." The Purple dragon said.

"The What?"

"Never you mind what." Bergan looked up at Cyrus, who had tossed Wraith against a wall and was about to attack Urobos again.

"Oh, your highness?" He asked innocently. The Possessed black dragon immediately stopped what he was doing and focused on Bergan.

"Yes, Master?"

"We're done here. Come." Bergan held a paw out, and a portal before him. He looked between the four other adult dragons.

"It's been fun, but I have other matters to attend to. I have to prepare the other children."

"You'll do NOTHING!" Spyro bellowed. He lunged at Bergan, firing another blast of Convexity. Bergan merely dodged the attack. Spyro kept going, and accidentally struck Cynder instead. The Black dragoness howled in agony, while Spyro was horrified.

"Oh my, it seems you've only succeeded in striking your mate." Bergan said, feigning concern. "That doesn't seem like an action that the Legendary Hero would take."

"Bastard!" Wraith shouted. Wraith teleported directly behind Bergan and attempted to slash at the Purple dragon. However, Bergan only dodged out of the way, sending Wraith reeling forwards. Bergan was now standing next to Cyrus, shaking his head in contempt.

"Why does everyone always attempt to attack me?" He asked. "Really, it is so uncivilized. Does nobody ever try reason anymore?" The Purple dragon sighed. "In any case, Cyrus and I shall be leaving. If you wish, you four may should travel to Glenhaven. I fear that time may be running out for my daughter."

"What?" Urobos asked.

"Well, it's been fun, but we're leaving now."

Bergan and Cyrus stepped forward, vanishing into the Portal.

"Farewell, and the best of luck to you."

And then, the two were gone.

Urobos walked forwards and helped Wraith get onto his feet. Then, the two aided Spyro and Cynder.

"Are the three of you alright?" Urobos asked.

"I am fine." Spyro answered. "Cynder, I'm sorry I attacked you."

"It's alright, Spyro." The black dragoness replied. "Bergan tricked you."

Wraith stayed silent the whole time. He was thinking to himself.

"What is it, Wraith?" Urobos asked.

"The Nothing….." he said.

"Hm?" Wraith turned to look at the older dragons.

"Earlier, during the fight, Bergan mentioned something called, 'The Nothing'. Spyro, Cynder, do either of you know what he meant by that?"

"The name is new to me." Spyro replied.

"And to me as well." Cynder added.

"What could it be?"

"It doesn't matter." Urobos said. "We need to head to the south, to Glenhaven."

"Why?" Spyro asked.

"Bergan has already dropped a hint that Elenar needed to go rescue her son Rune. And now, he has dropped another hint, this time saying time was running out for his daughter, the White dragoness Hope."

"White?" Cynder asked.

"So, the curse was real." Spyro added.

"Yes. But we're wasting time. Something is about to happen in Glenhaven. We must flee there, immediately."

And with that, the four dragons took to the skies, and headed to the South.

Time was running out.


	6. Act 2, Chapter 9

Act 2, Chapter 9

Tina was lying in a cell, unable to escape. All she could do was think about the events that recently took place.

A few hours ago, after Bergan successfully transformed Cyrus, he proceeded to awaken all of the children that were sleeping in the dungeons and forced them to gather together in The Nexus's courtyard. The purple dragon stood before them, a grin on his face. The newly transformed Cyrus was at his left, and Elza was at his right. Tina was placed among the crowd, unable to free herself.

The many young dragons were all too afraid to try and run away, because there was nowhere to run away to. And even if they could flee, they were terrified of the giant black dragon looking down at them, glaring. Several dozen Crepsculi formed a blockade around the young dragons, further cementing the fact that they were trapped.

Bergan used his Biocybernetic arm to call down a massive amount of Convexity energy, which engulfed the crowd of dragons, and transformed them. When the ritual ended, a sneer spread across Bergan's face. His plan had worked, for the most part, but there were complications.

All of the Light dragons and the Naturally born Dark dragons were transformed, just as he had wanted. But, there were a few Purple dragons among the Light dragons, and sure enough, they were immune to Convexity's effects. He had expected that. What he _didn't_ expect, however, was for the already-transformed Light dragons, the children that Bane had turned into Dark dragons, to still hold onto their Minds and free will after being transformed into giants. Tina was among the latter dragons. She had grown to an incredible size, just like Cyrus had. Her horns and Mane had grown longer, and her normally blue eyes were now purple.

Bergan was not pleased. Luckily, the Purple dragons and the free-thinking dragons were a minority. So, Bergan ordered his new minions to kill every last one of them. As a massive battle broke out before him, Bergan also sent Elza and Cyrus to capture Tina and bring her to him in chains. The dark yellow dragoness did her best to fight back and get away, but was ultimately powerless before the might of the giant Black dragon.

In a way, being plucked from the mob of dragons and tossed into chains was the best she could hope for. As Tina watched the other dragons battle, she saw that the Purples and the other free-thinking dragons were hopelessly outmatched. They were brutally stabbed, bitten, and torn to pieces. Screams of agony filled the air all over the place.

Tina was then placed before Bergan, who grinned at her. As Elza and Cyrus forced the Dark yellow giant into chains and a muzzle

"Congratulations, young dragon." He said. "You are the one who gets to live, for now."

"I'll never serve you!' Tina roared.

"I wasn't planning on trying to make you, although I could."

"What?" Tina was confused. "Then why-?"

"Well, let's just say that you're a pawn for a pawn."

"What do you mean?"

Bergan looked up at Cyrus, who had his gaze fixed on Tina for a moment.

"Your highness, This girl is now your property. You may do whatever you please with her."

The dark yellow dragoness gasped in shock.

"NO!" She screamed. Cyrus grinned evilly.

"Thank you, Master."

After the resisting dragons had all been slain, Tina was taken below to one of the dungeons. She was then chained to the wall, unable to escape. Cyrus and Bergan stood watching as the helpless dragoness could do nothing to save herself.

"I will give you fifteen minutes to do what you will with her." Bergan said, turning to leave. "After this, meet me in the Chapel. We have work to do."

"As you wish, Master." Cyrus responded.

Once Bergan had left the two alone, Cyrus slowly approached Tina. The dragoness shivered in fear. She had an idea what he was going to do.

"Cyrus, please…." Tina pleaded. ".Don't….."

The giant Black dragon placed one of his paws on top of Tina's.

"Don't worry, Tina." He said, looking into the dragoness's eyes. "I'm not going to do anything to hurt you."

"Huh?"

"As much as I want to, I love you too much to mate with you without your consent."

Tina's eyes lit up.

"You…love me?" Cyrus smiled.

"Of course. I always have. For the longest time, I've been trying to win you over by impressing you, although you never seemed to notice."

Tina didn't know what to say.

"Why did you think you needed to impress me?"

"Well, you were always such a beautiful girl, and much bigger and stronger than me, so I guess I wanted you to think I was big and strong as well."

Tina blushed.

"I didn't know you felt that about me."

"Well, I do. I love you, Tina."

"If you love me, then release me from these chains."

"I cannot."

Tina frowned in outrage.

"Why not?"

"Don't get me wrong, Tina: It hurts me to see you locked up like this. But if Master Bergan sees you fleeing from The Nexus, he'll send his minions to kill you. I cannot allow that."

"So what are you going to do to me?" Tina asked.

"Master Bergan has placed you under my control. For now, you are safe here. When the time is right, I will ask the Master if I may allow you to freely wander The Nexus. After that, I may be able to find a way to change you back to normal. As long as you don't try to fight Bergan, you will go unharmed. Okay?"

"What about you?" Tina asked. "You can't really be on Bergan's side now, could you?"

"I obey Bergan's every command. I just don't wish to see you get hurt. Do you trust me?"

"I….." Tina thought for a minute. "..I trust you, Cyrus."

The Black dragon smiled again.

"I have to leave now. Bergan will be waiting. But before I go, may I kiss you?"

Tina was hesitant at first, but then said. "Yes."

Cyrus removed the muzzle around Tina's face and brought his snout up to hers. As they kissed, Tina suddenly felt Cyrus's tongue slip inside her mouth. She welcomed it, wrapping her own tongue around his.

_I'm actually enjoying this_, she thought.

When the moment ended, Cyrus stepped away from Tina, a smile on his face.

"I promise that you'll be free soon." He said. "It may not be tonight, but it'll be soon."

"Okay."

"I'll leave the muzzle off, if you promise not to attack anyone who comes in here."

"I promise, Cyrus."

"Elza will arrive routinely to provide you with food."

Cyrus turned around and proceeded to walk out of the dungeon cell. Right before he left, he turned and looked Tina in the eyes.

"I'll be back soon." He said. Tina faked a smile.

"I'll be waiting."

Cyrus smiled back, and walked out.

…

It had been hours since Cyrus left. In that time, Tina had taken a small nap. When she woke up, she thought about Cyrus and the things he said.

_He could have taken me by force. I was completely helpless. But instead, he only wanted a kiss, and he promised that I wouldn't get hurt. I guess Runt hasn't been turned completely evil after all._

She sighed.

_He says he loves me. Was that really Runt talking, or Bergan's magic talking? Either way, I'm sorry, Cyrus, but I have to get out of here. I need to find a way to change you and all of the other kids back to normal._

After a long while of thinking, Tina couldn't come up with anything.

_Oh, if only I could remember how The Great Shadow was freed. How did the Purple dragon do it?_

Suddenly, the entrance to the dungeon cell opened. In walked Elza, holding a plate of food. Cyrus was true to his word.

Elza approached Tina and set the plate down before her.

"Um, thank you." Tina said. Elza only stared at her. The dark yellow dragoness became uncomfortable.

At Tina proceeded to consume the food, she glanced up at Elza. The green dragoness only stood there, watching her eat.

_Why is she acting this way? _Tina thought. _What could possibly have caused her to-?_

And then, Tina set her eyes on the Gem. She gasped. It was the Serenity Gem. Somehow, that Gem must've been what was causing Elza to act so strangely.

_I have to get that Gem away from her!_ She decided. _But how?_

As Tina almost finished her meal, she got an idea. She slowly brought her head up to look Elza in the eyes.

"I'm finished eating. You can take the plate away."

Elza said nothing. Instead, she stepped forwards and reached down to pick up the plate. When Elza was close enough, Tina suddenly lunged her head forwards, grabbing the Serenity Gem between her teeth.

The young dragoness tossed her head back and forth, trying her best to break the chain. Elza snarled, trying to get the other dragoness to let go. As the two dragonesses fought against each other, Tina realized that this wasn't enough. So, gathering her magic, Tina sent several Mental strikes into Elza's mind.

_Sorry about this, Miss Elza._

Elza suddenly fell backwards in pain while Tina pulled forwards. As luck would have it, this was enough stress to break the chain that the Serenity Gem was connected to. When Elza hit the floor, her zombie-like state vanished, and she became her old self again.

The green dragoness got back onto her feet, groaning.

"Are you okay, Miss Elza?" Tina asked.

"What?" Elza looked around. "What happened? Where am I?" She looked at the giant Tina. "Who are you?"

"It's me! Tina!" the dark yellow dragoness answered. Elza had a look of shock.

"Tina? What happened to you?"

"It's a long story." She said. "Shut the door."

So, Tina spent several minutes explaining everything that had happened since the previous morning. In the meantime, Elza freed Tina from her chains.

When Tina finally finished, Elza snarled.

"I will have Bergan's head on a pike when I next see him!" She shouted. "But first, we need to find a way out of this place. It's not safe. After that, we'll need to find a way to return you and the rest of the children to your normal forms."

"But how do we do get out of here?" Tina asked. "It's not like we can just walk out of here."

Elza thought for a minute. "Or maybe we can."

"Huh?" Tina was confused. "How?"

"I have a plan. You'll have to get back into the chains again for a while, but I promise it'll only be temporary. Alright, dear?"

Tina sighed. She was glad to be rid of those tight shackles. She didn't think she'd have to put them back on.

"Fine." She said glumly. "So, what's the plan?"

…

Bergan and Cyrus had finally returned to The Nexus. Once Cyrus was free to do as he pleased, he immediately went to Tina's dungeon cell. He was surprised to see Elza standing near the doorway, but paid her little attention afterwards. The giant black dragon walked inside to find Tina looking up at him from the ground. It seems she had taken a nap during his absence.

"Hello, Cyrus." She said, yawning.

"Greetings, Tina." He replied. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was just waking up." Tina got up onto her feet. "Could you step closer?"

"Why?"

"I want to kiss you again."

Cyrus smiled. "As you wish."

The black dragon approached and placed his snout on hers. As they did this, Elza quietly watched them from outside.

_If this were under other circumstances, I would find this adorable_, she thought.

When the kiss ended, and Cyrus backed his head up, Tina looked into his purple eyes.

"Uh, Cyrus?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking while you were away."

"About what?"

"If you're going to serve under Bergan, then I want to do the same." Cyrus looked at her skeptically.

"Why?"

"So we can be together." The black dragon sighed.

"I'm no fool. You don't wish to obey Master Bergan."

"But I'll willingly obey **you**." Tina reached out and placed one of her paws on top of Cyrus's. "You're **my** master."

"No." Cyrus responded. "I'm not your master. I want you to be my equal."

"An equal who's locked in chains?" Cyrus sighed.

"I've told you before: You imprisoned state is only temporary, until I have proven to Master Bergan that allowing you to leave won't be a hindrance to him."

"I know….." Tina started to cry. Cyrus reached over and wiped the tears away.

"You'll be free soon. Very soon. But please, be patient." Tina looked up into Cyrus's eyes.

"Cyrus?" She asked nervously.

"Yes?"

"Even if I have to stay in chains, could you take me for a walk around The Nexus's courtyard for a while?"

Cyrus didn't respond for a while. He sighed.

"Alright. But you'll have to stay in shackles the whole time. And Elza will be coming along too."

"Okay."

Cyrus turned his head and called for Elza. The green dragoness set to work unchaining Tina from the wall and rearranging the shackles, so that the giant dragoness was free to move, but not very fast. Also, Tina's wings were forced to stay folded inwards, so she couldn't fly away. As she was working, Cyrus noticed that Elza's Serenity Gem was missing.

"Elza, what has happened to your Gem?" He asked. The green dragoness didn't say a word: She merely made her zombie-like stare. Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, that's right: You Mindless."

The ploy worked. Cyrus was fooled.

Once Elza was finished, Cyrus led Tina out of the Dungeon cell. A collar on a chain was placed around Tina's neck, which was held by Cyrus. As the two walked down the hallway, Elza walked close behind. The first part of the plan was completed.

As they continued on their way, they passed by several other giant dragons: children that had been transformed by Bergan's spell. They paid the three dragons no mind: Cyrus still frightened them with his power and Black hide.

"I'm really sorry I have to lead you like this." Cyrus said to Tina.

"It's okay, Cy." Tina responded. "It's for my own protection."

"I'm glad you understand."

Tina walked up close to Cyrus's side and rubbed against him.

"What are you doing?' He asked.

"I'm cold, Cyrus." She said. "That dungeon floor was like ice. Could you please drape one of your wings over me?"

Cyrus gave Tina an odd look. "You're acting odd."

"What makes you think that?"

"You're getting used to your predicament awfully fast. What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything! I just want to be with you."

"But you found out I love only hours ago. Something is not right."

"I'm locked in chains and have no useful magic for this situation I'm in. I'm helpless. How could I be up to something?"

Cyrus sighed.

"Fair enough." The black dragon draped his left wing over Tina, keeping her close as the two walked forwards. Behind them, Elza sighed.

_Don't oversell it, Tina._

Eventually, the three dragons were out on the grounds of the fortress. Cyrus took Tina to the very edge of grounds, where they could see the great abyss of Convexity stretch all around them. The realm was as beautiful and mysterious as ever.

Tina sat down and lied down against Cyrus's back. The black dragon smiled. He paid no attention to Elza, who was quietly standing behind him.

"Cyrus, once this is all over, I'd be more than happy to have a relationship with you."

"You would?"

"Uh-huh." Tina turned to look at Cyrus, who did the same.

"You really _are_ a big, strong dragon, Cy. You didn't have to impress me to get me to love you."

"I didn't?"

"No. You were always perfect in my eyes." Cyrus blushed.

"You were the same."

Cyrus and Tina leaned their heads towards each other to kiss once again. As this happened, Elza silently started charging energy into her mouth. She was going to strike with a Cyclone to cripple the black dragon. She was just about to strike when….

"…I've changed my mind." Cyrus said, pulling back from Tina. He reached up and removed the collar from around the dark yellow dragoness's neck.

"Huh?" Tina asked, confused.

"I can't stand these chains any longer." Cyrus turned his head to Elza. "Remove her binds."

Elza placed her buildup of magic on standby and started removing the shackles and chains around Tina.

"What are you doing, Cyrus?" She asked.

"Master Bergan doesn't know we're out here." the black dragon responded. "This is the perfect time for you to flee."

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes." Cyrus turned around and summoned a portal of darkness with one of his front paws.

"This portal leads back to the Dragon Realms. Once you get back, stay away from Glenhaven. That's where the next phase in Bergan's plan is going to take place."

"Um, okay." Tina said.

Once Elza had removed all of the binds from Tina's body, the dark yellow dragoness started walking towards the portal. Suddenly, she stopped and looked Cyrus in the eyes again.

"Before I go, would you please kiss me goodbye?"

"As you wish."

As the two kissed once again, Elza suddenly stepped behind Cyrus. She unleashed a blast of Wind breath at the back of the black dragon's neck. As the same time, Tina sent several Mental strikes into Cyrus's Mind. The two attacks crippled Cyrus, causing him to roar in pain. He immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

Tina and Elza looked down at him, pity on their faces.

"Sorry, Runt." Tina said sadly. "I promise that I'll find a way to free you and the others from Bergan's control."

And with that, the two dragonesses walked over to the portal, heading through it.

What they did not realize was, up on top of a roof not too far, Bergan had been watching them afar. A sneer was on his face.

"So, that idiotic boy allowed his friend to seduce him." He said coldly. "And Elza has fallen from my control as well." He suddenly appeared standing over the Black dragon. He scoffed.

"Bah, I don't need them anyway. They were just extra playing pieces. I already have the full set. Although, I do believe I'll have to augment the spell on this boy with more Convexity. Maybe I'll turn him into a completely mindless beast. Then he'll forget about his 'love' for that girl, and try to kill her. At the very least, he'll be quite a challenge for my daughter. She just might become strong enough to fulfill her destiny."

Bergan shook his head.

"So many beings keep trying to get in my way. But in the end, I always find a back door or a loop hole that allows me to continue. And soon, everything will be finished." He looked up to the "sky". "Isn't that right, my lord?"

A great blast of energy suddenly came into existence, flew across the abyss, and suddenly vanished. Bergan smirked.

"I thought so."


	7. Act 2, Chapter 10

Act 2, Chapter 10

It was the early morning. The sun had yet to rise. Tyrrany slowly woke up. She got up onto her feet and stretched her back, yawning. She had a lot of work to do today.

The White dragoness set to work putting on her disguise. As she did this, she went over her plan to tamper with the planned battle between the Water dragoness Nellie and the other one. At first, it seemed like it would be so simple to accomplish that it'd be boring. But then, she remembered something Bergan once told her:

"Anything can happen in a one-on-one battle. You never know what one combatant of the other might do to achieve victory. Things only become less predictable as more combatants enter the fray. And any one action taken by any one fighter can swing the battle in one side's favor or the other. You need to be able to make any action or counter-action that keeps the battle in _your_ favor. Running into battle wildly will only end in ruin."

"I can't let anything go wrong today." She said. "I'll spend the rest of the day planning for anything that could go wrong that I can think of. I won't be able to plan for _everything_, so I'll focus on the most likely outcomes."

Once the White dragoness finished placing the stockings and cloak on, she went downstairs to find Arthur. The dragonfly was sleeping on top of Flame's head, his back propped up against one of the red dragon's horns. Both boys were snoring.

Tyrrany looked at her red-hided friend with pity. Ever since she lashed out at him back at the cave, she had avoided talking to him. But now, she couldn't help but think she was too hard on him. Whatever Flame's intentions were, he had tried his best to be a good friend to Tyrrany. Perhaps, once the day's mission was over, she would have a talk with him.

"It will have to wait, though." She said. She reached up to Flame's head with a paw and gently poked Arthur's chest with a talon, attempting to wake him up.

"Arthur, wake up." She demanded.

"zzzzz Five more minutes zzzz" the dragonfly mumbled. Tyrrany grew annoyed.

"Wake up!" She shouted loudly. Both Flame **and** Arthur woke with a start. The dragon shook his head, causing the dragonfly to fall to the floor.

"Huh? What's going on?" Flame shouted.

"You made me hit my head!" Arthur complained. "_That's _what's going on!"

Tyrrany sighed in contempt.

"Arthur!"

"What, Anny?"

"I need you to help me put on my makeup."

"Oh, okay." The dragonfly yawned. "Let's get to it then."

Tyrrany and Arthur started heading up the stairs. Flame just watched.

"I guess I'll just wait down here, again?" He asked. At first, Tyrrany didn't respond. Flame sighed.

"Yeah." Tyrrany answered. "Just wait downstairs, Flame."

The red dragon was shocked. That was the first time in a while that Tyrrany actually said something to him in a while.

"Okay, then." He said.

Tyrrany and Arthur spent a good half an hour applying the purple makeup to her scales. Once they were finished, Tyrrany sighed.

"By this afternoon, I will be one step closer to having my revenge on my mother." She said. "With the incredible magic I possess, it will be easy."

"Sure, it might be easy," Arthur responded. "But will it be worth it?"

"Huh?" Tyrrany turned to look at the dragonfly.

"Will killing your mother really be worth it?"

"Worth what?"

"The damage you'll cause."

"Damage? What damage?"

"Your brothers love you Mom. They'll be heartbroken at the loss of Queen Elenar." Tyrrany glared at the dragonfly.

"Who cares about them? I don't!"

"But they're your-"

"What, they're my family?" The dragoness scoffed. "Oh please. They barely even know I _exist_, let alone that I'm their sister!"

"But how do you know that? You don't know anything about them."

"If they were aware of my existance as their sister, then they would have wanted to see me at some point! The fact that they never have means that my existance was kept a secret by my mother out of shame."

"You're jumping to conclusions, Anny."

"Oh, enough already!" Tyrrany snapped. "My _Half_-brothers can go fuck themselves for all I care! If they come after me for revenge, then I'll kill them, just like my mother!"

Arthur sighed. "If you say so, Tyrrany." The dragonfly turned and flew down the stairs. He turned back and said one last thing.

"At least try to talk to that Nellie chick to learn something about your brother Rune. Maybe you two will have something in common." After that, he left.

Tyrrany turned and looked out the window. She spent a few minutes thinking about what Arthur said.

_Learn something about Rune? Why bother? It's not like the information will do any good._ Tyrrany turned her head downwards and looked at her side, where one of her birthmarks was hidden from view.

_Still, I might as well humor Arthur. I'll try to find something out about Rune._

After staring out the window for a few minutes, Tyrrany realized she was hungry. So, she swung her satchel around her neck, went downstairs, and left with Flame and Arthur for the grasslands.

This would be a big day for her.

...

Seraph woke up earlier than she usually does and headed to Rune's room. Last night, she and Hontus had a discussion about Nellie's provoked fight in school, and the planned rematch that would take place soon. As the dragoness expected, her mate was not pleased. However, he also believed that the fight was Roxanne's fault. He wanted Nellie's punishment to be reduced to three days, but Seraph didn't approve of that. So, Hontus and Seraph had a compromise: Nellie would have her punishment reduced if Hontus gave her a lecture. That wasn't an easy thing for the red dragon: He had an even harder time punishing his children than Seraph did. Hontus was a softy. But, he agreed, and the compromise was made.

But that wasn't why Seraph woke up so early. She decided to keep Rune's arrival a secret from Nellie for most of the day. The young black dragon would surprise Nellie by showing up at the arena in the afternoon. There was one major obstacle to this: Blankridge. The young Orange dragon was a notorious blabbermouth, and would no doubt spread the word of Rune's arrival to half the city in under an hour. To keep Rune's presence a secret, Seraph would have to keep it secret from Blank. To do that, she had to get up even earlier than the Orange dragon usually does.

So, about an hour before the sun usually rises, Seraph queitly crept into Rune's room, walked up to the sleeping black dragon, and shook him awake.

"Rune, sweetie, wake up." She whispered. Rune grumbled. He then slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the Water dragoness.

"Seraph?" He asked, yawning. "What time is it?"

"I'm sorry for waking you up earlier than usual, Rune," She responded, "But I kinda need you to leave before Blank wakes up."

"Why?"

Seraph took some time to explain the situation. Once she had finished, Rune spoke.

"So, you want me to surprise Nellie at the arena later today?"

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble, sweetie." Rune sighed.

"Alright." Rune said, shrugging. "I'll grab my things and get going."

Seraph smiled. "Thank you, Sweetie."

After Seraph left the room, Rune set to work gathering his belongings, doing his best to push away his groggyness.

_**You are actually going through with this? **_Runefor asked.

_Yes._

_**What a joke!**_

_I'm doing it for Nellie!_

_**That's what makes it a joke! You shouldn't be wasting you time with stuff like this. A great amount of power lies dormant in our veins. I say we should put it to good use! Bring destruction to our enemies! Lay waste to entire settlements! You know, the things we're SUPPOSED to do!**_

_What are you talking about?_

_**Our destiny!**_

_Stop talking, Runefor. You're not making any sense._

_**Oh, it will make plenty of sense soon, Rune. Very soon.**_

Once Rune finished packing his satchel, he quietly slipped out into the hallway and tiptoed past Blank's room. As he was sneaking past, he heard Blank groaning inside. Gasping, Rune quickly darted down the hall, into the front room of their home, and ran out the front door. He then immediately took to flight, heading towards the Grasslands.

...

As Rune was leaving their home, Blank woke up with a yawn. He got up onto his feet and stretched his back.

Blank had been getting up this early for as long as he could remember. He was one of the Glenhaven school's top athletic students, or "Jocks" as some young dragons called them. Despite his utter boredom and struggles with Magical studies, Blank found at a young age that he had a knack for Physical combat, and took Advanced combat courses at a younger age than most. Due to this reputation, he had become quite popular among the female student body; he would often find himself followed by a small crowd of girls on a regular basis. But despite this easy access to dates, Blank was still the same adventerous dragon that he had always been, and usually just ignored the girls to go exploring in the city and part of the desert beyond. And besides, the only girls he really wanted to hang out with were his sister Nellie and his friend Emerald.

Blank walked out of his room and turned down the hallway to Nellie's chamber. He walked in and woke Nellie up by shaking her shoulder vigorously.

"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead!" He exclaimed. "You've got a big day ahead of you!"

Nellie woke up grumbling.

"Blank?" She yelled crankily. "Why are you getting up so late?"

"You need to get up early today, so you can prepare yourself for the rematch this afternoon."

"Gee, thanks." Nellie said sarcastically.

Blank left the room to return to his own as Nellie spent a half hour gathering her supplies for school. She thought to herself the whole time.

_Stupid Blank, waking me up so early! I wanted to get as much sleep as I could. So much for that._

Nellie sighed.

_I guess I might as well start preparing for the rematch._

"Nellie?" She heard someone say. Nellie turned to see her mother standing at the doorway. "You're up early."

"I'm getting ready for the rematch, Mom." The younger dragoness said.

"Of course."

Nellie put on her satchel and headed for the entrance to her room. Seraph stepped back so she could keep going.

"Once the match is over, Nellie, you are to-."

"I'm to come straight home." Nellie said. "I know, Mom." Seraph sighed.

Nellie entered into the front of their home. Blank was waiting for her.

"You ready to go, sis?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Let's go, then. We're headed to the Grasslands first."

Blank and Nellie waved goodbye to Seraph and left. The adult Water dragoness turned and walked back to her chamber to get Hontus.

"I better wake him up. It's going to be a long day."

…

Elenar came to a landing, catching her breath.

"How much farther?" She asked her companions, breathing heavily.

"We still have to cross the Arcus desert." Aegis answered.

The sun had just risen over the Fractured Hills. Elenar, Albanion and Aegis had been traveling nonstop ever since they left Warfang. A while back, Elenar had run out of her reserves of Dark Energy, and had to use her natural energy. When she became too tired to fly, she landed on one of the Hills on the southern end of the Fractured Hills.

"Your majesty, you're too exhausted to continue traveling." Albanion said. "We should stop so you can get some rest."

"NO!" Elenar protested. "I need to arrive in Glenhaven immediately."

Elenar wanted to get to Glenhaven as soon as possible. Whatever danger Rune was in, she would do anything she can to rescue him. She also worried about her other children, Cyrus and Hope. But, since Rune was the only one she knew the location of, he took top priority at the moment.

"Your highness, you can't fly when you're in such a state." Aegis said. "Please, at least let us give you part of our energy."

Elenar stood up straight, groaning.

"Alright."

Albanion and Aegis faced Elenar, each Deep Shadow holding a front paw out. Each one summoned a mass of dark energy into his paw, and had it fly into Elenar, filling her with energy. Within a few moments, Elenar was rejuvenated.

"Thank you." She said to them.

"Your welcome, your highness." The two said in unison.

No longer tired, the Queen spread her wings for flight.

"Come. We must hurry!" She exclaimed. Albanion and Aegis prepared for flight as well, and the trio continued on their trip south, heading across the Arcus desert.

…

Tyrrany had just finished eating a sheep. She needed to stay energized if she was to succeed today. And these sheep were the easiest source of food to find.

The dragoness stood up and looked around for Flame and Arthur. She spotted the red dragon sitting before a few trees, just like the last time the two of them ate here. He was still eating. Arthur was floating nearby, apparently waiting to the two dragons to finish so they could leave. She sighed and approached them.

"Are you going to be done soon?" She asked Flame. Flame swallowed a bite of flesh so he could speak.

"So, you're talking to me again now?" He asked back.

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm almost finished." He said. "Do you want to have what I don't eat?"

"No, I'm content with what I've had."

"Okay. Say, Anny?"

"What?" She asked, staring at him.

"Uh…." Flame seemed to be trying to work up the nerve to ask something. "Does this mean you've forgiven me for my behavior the other night?"

"I have gotten over it." Tyrrany answered. "But don't think I'll allow you to pursue me."

"I still love you, Anny." Flame said.

"You're wasting your time." Tyrrany replied coldly. "I don't love you back. I barely even _like_ you."

That comment made Flame frown.

"Get over it." The dragoness scolded.

Suddenly, Arthur gasped.

"Guys, hide!" He shouted to them.

"What?" Tyrrany asked.

"Why?" Flame added.

"There's a black dragon coming for a landing nearby!" The dragonfly answered, pointing at the sky. The two dragons looked up, and saw a third, black-hided dragon coming to a landing in the distance. Tyrrany and Flame quickly ran behind the trees to hide, and watched the newcomer catch and kill a sheep.

"Could that be Prince Rune?" Flame asked.

"It's too hard to tell for sure," Tyrrany said. "But it's most likely."

As the dragoness looked upon the black dragon, she spotted the tell-tale signs of glowing birthmarks on his sides. They were blue instead of red, but they were in the same place as on Cyrus and Tyrrany.

"Scratch that: It is definitely Rune."

Tyrrany felt anger swell up inside her once again. Rune. _Prince_ Rune. Another one of Elenar's replacements for Tyrrany. Even if Tyrrany knew she had to win Rune's trust, she still wanted to throttle him for getting everything that _she_ ever wanted. Perhaps she just might do that, once she had killed their mother.

The whole time Rune was eating, Tyrrany just watched him, not making a sound.

"Are you okay, Anny?" Arthur asked.

"I'm fine." She said, still staring at Rune. "Damn him."

"Why?"

"Damn those Black dragons. They get all the love and respect. They are allowed to whatever they please. But a White dragon like me? _I _have to be hated and feared. _I_ have to hide me true color."

"Not everyone hates you, Anny." Arthur said.

"Yeah. What about your father, or the two of us?" Flame added. Tyrrany sighed.

"You're right." She said. Flame smiled. "My father cared for and loved me, when my mother didn't. And I suppose you two were the only children who didn't try to make my life insufferable."

Flame frowned. "Tyrrany, I don't think…"

"He's leaving!" the dragoness shouted.

Sure enough, Rune had finished eating the sheep's flesh, disposed of the remains, and took off for flight, heading who knows where.

"Where do you think he's headed?" Arthur asked.

"Should we follow him?" Flame added.

"No." Tyrrany said. "We'll leave him alone, for now. Instead, we have work to do. Come."

Tyrrany took off for the city, Flame and Arthur following close behind.\

…

It was a little after Noon.

After a long night of traveling, the Faeshrine Caravan finally traveled across the Arcus desert and reached Glenhaven.

Once the Caravan entered the southern end of the city, the wagons and carriages parked on the Eastern end of the city, where a large Grasslands was growing. This wouldn't be their permanent spot: Anthony and Richard would have to go speak with the rulers of Glenhaven to gain permission to conduct business.

The two senior partners stepped out of their Carriage and had a short look around. Some of the Employees exited their vehicles and stood on standby, waiting for orders. The red dragon smiled.

"We need to head for the Glenhaven Palace." Anthony said. "That is where the Elders of the city reside. When we meet with them, we will make the simple request to conduct business here."

"What they won't suspect," Richard added, "It that we'll already be planting our able-bodied employees in a perimeter around the Palace."

"Yes." Anthony nodded. The dragon signaled for two Cheetahs to approach him.

"Yes, sir?" They asked.

"Organize the employees." He said. "Be sure to have them all hidden in place around the Palace."

"Yes, sir." They responded.

As the two cheetahs proceeded to round the Employees into action, Anthony and Richard turned to face the Palace.

"Shall we go?" Richard asked.

"Let's." Anthony answered.

The dragon and dragonfly took to the skies and flew towards the Palace, completely unaware that their sons and their President's daughter were hiding somewhere inside it.

…

Emerald and Nellie's Elemental Studies Class came to an end, and all of the students filed into the hallway. The two girls were some of the last dragons to leave. Nellie had been going over her notes on the Lightning element, so she can find a way to get an advantage over Roxanne during the fight. Emerald had been helping her.

"Seeing as you're a Water dragon," Emerald began, "If you manage to get Roxanne covered in Water as she's about to strike with Lightning breath, you might be able to make her electrocute herself."

"But my Water strike's made mostly of Magic." Nellie responded. "It's not conductive."

"Hmm, that's right." The green dragoness said. "We'll just have to think of something else, then."

As the girls approached the cafeteria, they were met by Ember, who came from her Elemental Studies Grade 1 Class.

"Hey, Ember." Emerald greeted.

"Hi, girls." the pink dragoness responded. "Are you ready for the fight yet, Nellie?"

"Not quite." Nellie said, sighing. "I'm still not sure how I'm going to beat her."

"Well, everyone in my class is talking about it."

"They are?" Emerald asked.

"Uh-huh. They're all arguing over who's going to win. Most of them are rooting for Roxanne."

Nellie had a look of irritation on her face.

"It sure is nice to know that so many people have confidence in me." She said sarcastically. Ember didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Well _I'm_ rooting for you, Nellie." Emerald said.

"Blank and I do too." Ember added.

"And if Rune was here, he'd root for you as well."

The blue dragoness smiled. "Thanks, guys."

As the trio entered the cafeteria, they saw that a bunch of kids were forming crowd on one side of the room. Curious, they walked over to have a look at who was in the center. When they found out, Nellie growled.

It was Vaun and Aaron. The two dragons were spreading word about all the different ways that Roxanne defeat Nellie. They were also running a betting pool on who was going to win in the fight. A surprising number of dragons had placed bets on both of the dragonesses.

"Rox's victory is an almost guarantee!" Vaun shouted.

"The only way Rox could win even easier was if Nellie actually attacked herself!" Aaron added.

"How much do you want to bet that Blank's bet was with those two jerks?" Emerald whispered to the others.

"I'd wager that's exactly what's going on." Nellie responded.

"You know, you could bet a large amount of money on Roxanne, throw the fight, and walk away a rich girl."

"That's not going to happen." Nellie said.

"Well, It was worth a shot."

The three girls walked away from the crowd, going on the other side of the cafeteria so they could eat in peace.

A while later, after Nellie had finished eating and disposed of her tray, the Water dragoness proceeded down the hallway, heading towards the girls' restroom. As she was walking, she was spoken to by an unexpected visitor.

"Hello, Nellie."

She turned to see a strangely dressed dragoness walking up to her.

"Hey, you're that girl who helped me out yesterday." Nellie said. "Your name was Anny, right?"

"Correct." the dragoness answered.

"Why are you in the school?"

"I'm spending the day having a tour of the building." Anny said. "I'm thinking of attending here, once my Globetrotting has come to an end."

"Oh, really? That's nice."

"But that's not why I'm talking to you."

"Oh?"

"If you have a moment, could you explain some things to me about Rune?"

"Uh, sure. What's your first question."

"Well, for starters, how did you meet him?"

…

For a good while, as the two dragonesses walked towards and used the restroom, Nellie told Tyrrany Rune's entire story: His early life in The Hive, the death of his mother which led to his self-exile, his first five years in Glenhaven, and the Malefor ordeal. When there were a few things that Tyrrany didn't understand fully, Nellie explained it a little further. However, Nellie left a few….painful details out of the story.

The biggest things that Tyrrany was interested in was the resurrection ritual and the monster known as The White Beast. With the former, the disguised dragoness finally knew how her mother Elenar was brought back to life in the first place. As for the latter, she tried to get more details.

"Was it a dragon?" Tyrrany asked.

"I'm not sure." Nellie lied. "It was definitely reptilian in nature, and of gigantic size. But it roared like a monster, so I don't think it was capable of sentient thought."

"And the dragon Malefor was a part of it?"

"I believe so."

"What happened to it?"

"King Bane of the dark dragon Monarchy killed it. But he lost his life in the process."

"I see…."

"I have to go to class now." Nellie said. "Bye, Anny."

"Farewell." Tyrrany replied. "Good luck in your battle later."

"Thanks!"

Once Nellie was gone, Tyrrany slid into a back stall. She instantly roared in rage. So, even though Rune's actions resulted in Elenar's death, she still favored him and Cyrus over Tyrrany. And to make matters worse, Tyrrany's hard work to kill her mother could be rendered undone easily. If Elenar was revived once, it could be done again.

"I will have done so much for nothing!" She bellowed. "And then she'll come after _me_!"

The dragoness pounded her fists against the bathroom stall, snarling.

"I'll have to kill Rune and Cyrus along with Elenar, just to keep them from reviving her! Why does everything have to become increasingly more complicated?"

Tyrrany pounded on the stall a few more times, and then finally calmed down. As she breathed heavily, she spoke some more.

"Don't lose it, Tyrrany." She told herself. "For now, just focus on interfering with the fight today. Don't give up hope so soon."

After this, she exited the stall and left the restroom, heading off to find Flame and Arthur.

…

It was the afternoon. Normal school hours had ended. The time for the rematch had finally come.

Nellie was in the Arena's Eastern girls' locker room, standing in front of a mirror. Emerald and Ember were with her, helping the Water dragoness put on her battle armor. It was customary for dragons to dress in battle armor for arena battles, to protect their hides from severe injury. Nellie, having a slender figure, had to go with chain mail. Roxanne was a thin dragoness as well, and was likely wearing the same type. This meant that both girls would be able to move at almost their top speeds during the fray.

As Nellie stood in place, Ember helped slide metal gauntlets onto the Water dragoness's limbs, while Emerald adjusted the chain mail armor, making sure it fit perfectly.

"I'm getting kind of nervous." Nellie said to the Earth dragoness.

"I know you are, but don't worry too much." Her friend said.

"But we still weren't able to find a way for me to beat Roxanne! I could get my ass handed to me out there!"

"You can win this." Emerald said reassuringly.

"Yeah!" Ember added. "You're going to mop the floor with Roxanne!"

Nellie giggled.

"That would certainly be fun to do."

Suddenly, Eloise the Physical Combat teacher walked into the locker room.

"The match will be starting soon." She said. "Get ready."

"Alright." Nellie responded. "Ember, could you please hand me my helmet?"

"Okay!"

The pink dragoness handed Nellie a silver war helm. It fit tightly over her mane, and bent around her horns, matching their shape. The Water dragoness looked herself over in the mirror, sighing. She then turned around and walked towards Eloise.

"Okay, I'm ready."

…

The Glenhaven Arena consisted of two giant, circular floors. The upper floor had several rows of bleachers and a massive hole cut in the floor, allowing spectators to witness the battles that take place on the lower floor. Telus the Earth Elder was standing at the center of the lower floor, watching many dragon students and a few teachers file into the upper floors bleachers.

On one side of the arena, hidden among the crowd, were Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur. The two dragons were able to blend into the others seamlessly; everyone's attention was focused on Telus.

As the trio found a place to sit at the edge of the hole in the floor, Arthur looked around.

"So _this_ is the Glenhaven arena." Arthur whispered. "Fancy place."

"Look at all these dragons." Flame added. "They must really enjoy arena fights."

"The battle is between two well-known dragons." Tyrrany said. "It is between Nellie, the girl who's dating a Prince of the Dark Dragon Monarchy, and Roxanne, one of this school's Top students. The latter has been trying to steal Rune away from the former. And for quite some time, I believe."

"Say, where do you think Rune is right now?" Arthur asked.

"He's over there."

"What?" Flame asked.

"Can you not see him?" Tyrrany pointed towards the other end of the arena. "Look."

On the other side of the Arena, Rune was silently slipping in among the crowd in the very back. He had tried disguising himself by dressing in a strange brown set of robes. However, Tyrrany had spotted the dragon's black face when he opened his hood for a moment to spot a place to sit down.

"Why doesn't anybody ever question dragons who wear unusual clothing?" Arthur asked. "No offense, Anny."

Tyrrany sighed, shaking her head. "Glenhaven is known as the city of Commerce. Many odd characters travel from all around the world to do business here. The city's citizens are probably just more accepting than most."

_Unless you're a White dragon_, she snarled in her mind.

"In any case, I'll be keeping an eye on him." Flame said.

"Why?"

"To let you know when he makes a move to help Nellie when you're fudging with the fight."

"Ah, that's a good idea." Flame blushed. It was rare for Tyrrany to give compliments.

"For now, though." Tyrrany continued, "We shall wait for the fight to begin. I believe it will be soon."

…

Nellie walked forwards towards the south entrance to the arena floor. Emerald, Ember and Eloise had walked with her for most of the trip, but then turned and headed upstairs. Nellie's two friends wished her luck as they left.

As she got closer to the South entrance, The water dragoness could hear the chatter of the crowd. Roxanne was walking out of the North entrance. Sure enough, the Lightning dragoness had decided to wear chain mail armor, just like Nellie.

_I figured as much_, she thought.

Telus was standing in the center of the arena, waiting for the two dragonesses to approach. He was glancing between them. Nellie gulped. She grew nervous.

_Well, here goes nothing_.

The water dragoness walked into the Arena, towards the center. Roxanne did the same thing. Once the two dragonesses were before Telus, the Elder spoke to the crowd. They immediately settled down so they could hear him.

"This match shall be between the Water dragoness Nellie and the Lightning Dragoness Roxanne. They have recently had a dispute over a minor matter. In order to resolve it once and for all, they shall duel here."

Nellie glanced over at Roxanne, who was grinning. Unlike herself, the Lightning dragoness was completely confident in herself.

_This won't be easy._

Telus started going over the rules of the match.

Meanwhile, on the upper floor, Rune had managed to get up to the edge in the floor, and looked down at Nellie. He frowned.

_How did you manage to get yourself into this, Nellie?_ He asked in his mind. _You didn't need to prove anything._

On the other side of the Arena floor, Tyrrany was looking back and forth between Rune, Nellie, and Roxanne.

"This will be a most interesting match indeed." She whispered. "Watch out, Nellie: Roxanne is going to try to kill you."

As she said this, Telus came to the end of his monologue.

"….And under absolutely no circumstances is either combatant allowed to take their battle up above the upper floor. This action will result in an immediate disqualification. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Telus." both girls agreed.

"Well then, without any further ado…" Telus spread his wings and flew up onto the upper floor.

"Let the fight commence!"

Immediately, the crowd began rooting for either girl. Rune sighed. Tyrrany focused on Nellie. And the two girls leapt into battle.

The fight had begun.


	8. Interlude 2

Interlude

Nine years ago, a month before The Hive's destruction.

"Can we go with you this time, Papa?" Rune asked.

It was the middle of the morning in The Hive. Bane had been preparing to round up a large number of Dark dragons to venture to Warfang, disguised as an entourage of traveling nomads. For a number of years, Bane had been using a spell of his own invention, the Shroud of Darkness, to take on the appearance of a Purple dragon. Many other dragons used the spell too, so that they may freely walk among dragons of Light. As the years passed, Bane and his entourages had purchased supplies in multiple Dragon cities and settlements, the best places to buy from being Warfang and Faeshrine.

Bane had just recently turned thirty. He was finally old enough to take up Urobos's place as King. But before he did this, he was leaving for one final trip out into the world. Once Bane returns, he will he given the Monarchy, and be King of the Dark dragon race. Albanion would then take Bane's place as leader of the Deep Shadows.

Bane had been spending the morning in his and Elenar's personal chamber, getting ready to leave. He had put on his brown robes, and was about to place the Shroud of Darkness over himself. However, Rune and Cyrus, his two young dragon cubs, walked in to talk to him.

Bane chuckled.

"What would make you boys want to go with your father on his boring trip to Warfang?" He asked, smiling.

"Your trips aren't boring, Papa!" Rune exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Cyrus added. "You're always having the coolest adventures when you're away!"

"Really? You think they're cool?"

"Uh-huh!" The boys said in unison. Bane laughed again.

"Well then, if you boys think I'm so exciting, I'll let you come with me."

Rune and Cyrus both hugged Bane's front legs.

"Thank you, Papa!" They cheered. Bane smiled, hugging his sons back.

"But before I let you come with me, let's go ask your mother if it's okay with her."

"Okay, Papa." Cyrus said.

So, the two black dragon cubs followed their father out of his chamber and down the hall. Bane kept a close watch on them as they followed him. They had to run a little just to keep up with his steady walk. Seeing them trip over themselves here and there in their haste amused him.

As the three black dragons approached the Palace throne room, Bane spotted Albanion and Elza standing in the hall. Albanion was scratching the underside of Elza's muzzle. Both Deep Shadows were smiling.

Bane cleared his throat loudly when he approached, causing both of them to jump.

"Bane!" Albanion exclaimed. "Uhh….hi."

Bane cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"That behavior isn't allowed, you know." He said coldly. Albanion sighed.

"My apologies, Sir." He replied, lowering his head. Bane rolled his eyes.

"Just follow me into the Throne room." The Prince commanded.

"Yes, sir." The two said.

"Why did you make Uncle Alby stop scratching Aunt Elza's chin, Papa?" Rune asked. The two Deep Shadows looked between each other awkwardly, while Bane sighed. "Uncle Alby" and "Aunt Elza" were the names that Rune and Cyrus called the two Deep Shadows. In a way, the names fit. Albanion and Elza were Bane and Elenar's best friends, and the two Deep Shadows cared for the young Black cubs as though they were related by blood.

"Well, because your Uncle isn't allowed to do that sort of thing, Rune." Bane answered looking over at Albanion.

"Why not, Papa?" Cyrus asked.

"You two wouldn't understand. It's a grown-up affair."

Bane could tell by their faces that Rune and Cyrus weren't satisfied with his answer. But, it couldn't be helped.

"Come on, boys. Let's keep going."

Bane, his two cubs and the two Deep Shadows stepped inside the Palace Throne room. King Urobos was sitting on his Golden throne, speaking to Elenar and Grail.

"…and make sure that all of the men and women leaving for the trip remember to bring only the amount of currency they need. We have a vast fortune, but it is still limited."

"Yes, your highness." Grails said, bowing.

"You are dismissed, Grail."

The Deep Shadow saluted the King, turned around, and walked towards the exit. He nodded to Bane as he passed by him.

When Urobos noticed Bane and the others walk in, and greeted them.

"Ah, Bane!" Urobos said, smiling. "I was just about to call for you."

"Greetings, Father." Bane responded.

When the three Deep Shadows were standing before the Urobos, they saluted to him, while the two cubs ran up to hug the King.

"Good morning, Grandpa!' Cyrus exclaimed. Urobos chuckled, scooping the young cubs up in his front legs. Elenar smiled.

"What brings you two boys to Grandpa's throne room at this hour?" She asked.

"Rune and Cyrus would like to come with me on my trip to Warfang." Bane answered her.

"Warfang?" She asked, mild concern on her face. "Is that a safe place to bring them?"

"Well, I see no problem with it." Urobos said. "As long as they stay within close reach, they'll be fine."

"I believe so too." Bane replied. He looked over at Elenar. "So, is it okay for our boys to come with me to Warfang?"

Elenar thought for a minute. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea…."

"Awwwww!" The young cubs said sadly in unison. They crawled out of Urobos's grip and walked up to their mother.

"Please, Momma?" Rune asked.

"We'll be good!" Cyrus added.

Elenar looked down at her two cubs. They looked back with the saddest faces they could muster. Urobos, Albanion and Elza chuckled, while a smile broke out across Elenar's face.

"Oh, I just can't resist faces like those." She said. "Sure, you two may go with your father on his trip."

The two cubs burst into cheers. They hugged their mother as tightly as they could.

"Thank you, Momma!" They exclaimed happily.

"I'll miss you boys while you're away." Elenar said to them.

"Don't worry," Bane said to her. "They'll only be gone for a few weeks."

"If you say so, Bane."

Elenar looked between Bane and Urobos. "As long as we all have time to speak, there is something I need to discuss with you two." She then glanced at the other two Deep Shadows. "Albanion, Elza, please keep an eye on my sons while we're speaking."

Albanion and Elza nodded. "Yes, your majesty." They said. Elza stepped toward the two cubs.

"Come along with your Aunt Elza, boys." She said.

"Okay." they responded.

Rune and Cyrus walked between Albanion and Elza as they left the Throne room.

"Bye, Grandpa!" They shouted back to the King, waving. Urobos smiled.

"Goodbye, boys!" He shouted back.

Soon, Bane, Elenar and Urobos were alone. The King spoke first.

"This will be the last trip into the Dragon Realms that you'll go on." He said.

"Yes, Father." Bane responded formally. Urobos laughed.

"There's no need for Formalities, Bane." The Old King got up from his cushion and approached his son. "Once you return from Warfang, you will finally take my place as King! You will be able to order _me_ around, from then on!" Bane chuckled.

"No, no. I'll always do as you tell me, Father." He responded, smiling.

"Do as you will, ma'boy." Urobos replied. He looked over at Elenar. "You may do as you will as well, Elenar." The dragoness smiled.

"As you wish, Urobos."

"Say, what was that matter you wished to speak about?" Urobos asked. Elenar's face suddenly became sad. Bane frowned.

"What's wrong, Elenar?" He asked. She sighed.

"Bane, Urobos, I've been doing some thinking…'

"About what?" Urobos queried, concerned.

"I think…." She answered. "…I think it's finally time."

"Time for what?" Elenar took a short pause.

"It's time to bring Hope here to live with us."

There was a long, awkward silence.

"You mean the White Hatchling you had with Bergan and left in his custody?" Urobos asked.

"Yes."

"And you believe it would finally be safe for Hope to walk amongst dark dragons." Bane added.

"I do."

Bane and Urobos looked between each other.

"Well, I have no qualms about bringing Hope here." Bane said. "Do you, father?"

"Of course not!" Urobos answered. "Even if Hope's hide is White, that doesn't mean that Hope is destined to follow the path that Runileon followed. Hope may come to live here."

Elenar smiled. "Thank you."

"Your welcome, my love." Bane responded. "When should Hope be brought here?"

"I think the best time to do it is after you've been given the title of King." Urobos said.

"That seems reasonable to me." The Prince responded. He looked at his wife. "Is waiting one more month okay with you, Elenar?"

Elenar walked forwards and wrapped her front legs around Bane.

"Yes." She said happily. Bane smiled, embracing her.

"Then it's decided." Urobos declared. "Once Bane has returned and been named King, we shall travel to Faeshrine to ask Bergan to give Hope to us."

"Thank you, you two. You've made me happier than you can imagine."

…

It was a few days after the attack on The Hive. The once great, floating city was reduced to a smoldering wreck. Many Dark dragons lost their lives: Men, women and children alike. Many of the survivors were left in mourning.

Bane suffered most of all. Almost his entire family was gone: Urobos, Elenar and Rune were all dead. He only had his son Cyrus now. Even though he stopped himself from committing suicide, he was still a broken man. No longer would he be able to look to his father for guidance when he needed it. No longer would he be able to educate his son Rune or look after him. And as for Elenar….

Bane, now the new King of the Dark Dragons, decided to prepare a funeral for his fallen Queen. A grave was dug for the Grey dragoness in the Eastern Edge of the Veros Outskirts, on the edge of the Tarune Forest. The wreckage of The Hive lied not too far to the North. Many of the Dark dragons paid there last respects to the fallen Dragoness: Bane, Cyrus and the Deep Shadows were the last ones to do so.

Evening was fast approaching. Bane, Albanion and Grail stood before Elenar's Grave. Cyrus had cried so much at the sight of Elenar's grave that Elza had to take him away from it. Bane, however, stood before t, reading the inscription on the stone to himself once again:

_Here lies Elenar._

_Born in 476 N. A._

_Died in 507 N. A._

_Queen of Clan Aries, and Queen of the Dark Dragon race._

_Dear Friend, Caring Wife, and Loving Mother._

_Her body will be gone, but her Spirit continues on._

"What shall we do, your highness?" Grail asked. The Black dragon was silent as the grave before him. A river of tears rolled down his face.

"I don't know." He finally answered.

"What do you **mean** you don't know?" Albanion demanded.

"How could I possibly know what to do?" Bane asked. "Almost my entire family is gone. My home is destroyed, and hundreds of my people are dead. In only a few days, "I've become the worst King the world has ever seen." He dent his head low in shame. "_I_ should be the one in this grave, not Elenar."

Grail placed a paw on one of Bane's shoulders.

"Bane, listen to me." He began. "You're not the only one grieving: We all are. But this wasn't your fault: It was the Darkstalkers that did this."

"Grail's right!" Albanion added. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what _they_ did. And besides, all we can do now is find a new home."

"But where?" Bane asked. "Where could all of the remaining Dark Dragons go now?"

Albanion an Grail sighed. None of the trio knew. They just looked down at Elenar's tombstone, trying to come up with something.

As they did this, thunder boomed in the sky. Rain started pouring, slowly but surely. And the evening slowly changed to night. Bane shut his eyes, letting the sound and feel of the light rain calm him down…..

And then, he heard something. At first, it was very faint, and off in the distance. But then, it started getting louder, and closer.

"Do you two hear that?" Bane asked.

"What, your highness?" Grail asked.

"It sounds like something's approaching from the south. Listen."

After a short while, the sound grew loud enough to be heard easily.

"I hear it!" Albanion declared.

"As do I." Grail added.

"What could it be?"

"It seems we'll find out soon enough." Bane said. "Be ready to attack, just in case it's an enemy."

Something approached in the darkness. The three Dark dragons got ready to attack. Bane used his magic to levitate himself and held his sword at the ready, while Albanion's and Grail's eyes glowed with their magic.

After a few moments, several large wooden Wagons and Carriages pulled into view. They were driven by various Moles, Cats, and other races. They all came to a stop before the Dark Dragons, forming a long line up and down the Veros Outskirts.

"What is this?" Grail asked.

"It looks like a Traders' Caravan." Albanion replied.

"Looks can be deceiving." Bane warned. "Stay on your guard."

The multitude of beings driving the Wagons and Carriages looked at the dragons, intrigue and confusion on their faces. The trio stood their ground, not sure what to expect.

After a moment, A dragon stepped out of the Carriage at the end of the Caravan.

"Why have we stopped?" He demanded. "What could the delay possible be?"

Bane couldn't make out his face in the dark, but he could tell the dragon had a purple hide, and was wearing a Black Cloak over his back, as well as black stockings on his front legs. But when the Purple stranger got closer, Bane gasped. The stranger had three silver horns, a golden mane, and blood red eyes.

"Say, now! What do we have here?" The Purple dragon asked, getting closer to have a better look. "Dark dragons? I haven't seen any of _your_ kind in ages! I thought you were all dead."

"Bergan?" Bane asked, confused. The stranger gasped.

"That voice! It couldn't possibly be…?" When the Purple dragon got close enough to get a good look at the Dark Dragon, he nearly jumped.

"Bane?" A smile broke out across his face. "Bane! By the Ancestors, I haven't seen you in years!"

Bane slowly lowered himself to the ground and sent his sword away. Bergan approached him, grinning with glee.

"Hello, Bergan." Bane said coldly. Bergan cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" He asked.

Albanion glared at Bergan, while Grail snarled.

"You filthy deflowerer!" The aged Deep Shadow bellowed.

"What?" Bergan queried. "What are you talking about?"

"You are the one who Molested Elenar!"

"_Molested? Elenar?_"

Grail charged forward, roaring at the top of his lungs with the intent to attack Bergan. The Purple dragon instantly dodged out of the way, grimacing.

"Good lord, man!" He exclaimed.

"Grail, stop!" Bane shouted.

But Grail didn't listen. He was lost in rage. He proceeded to launch a barrage of slashes and stabs at Bergan, moving forwards relentlessly. But each time, Bergan used Time Magic to dodge out of the way.

"Can we not talk about this in a good-natured manner?" Bergan pleaded.

"Grail, I order you to stand down!" Bane exclaimed.

"Grail, listen to him!" Albanion shouted. But the Deep Shadow wouldn't stop trying to assault Bergan.

Meanwhile, a number of Cheetahs and Tigers had seen the fight begin, and they jumped into battle to defend their leader. Soon, a crowd of Cats was attacking Grail, who had now turned his attention to them. This enabled Bergan to run over next to Bane and Albanion. The Purple dragon was breathing heavily. Suddenly, Grail roared in pain, causing Bane and Albanion to gasp.

"All of you, stand down at once!" Bergan commanded. Immediately, the Cheetahs and Tigers backed away from Grail. The Silver-hided dragon was lying on the ground, breathing heavily and clutching his left eye. Blood gushed out of his face.

"Oh dear!" Bergan shouted. He ran over to Grail, who was struggling to get onto his feet. Bane and Albanion ran over to aid him as well.

"My good man, are you alright?" Bergan asked. The Purple dragon tried to have a look at Grail's wound, but the Deep Shadow growled at him.

"Back off." He growled threateningly, barring his fangs. Albanion and Bane helped Grail get onto his feet.

"He needs medical attention." Albanion announced. "He's losing too much blood."

"I have medical supplies in one of the Wagons." Bergan said. "I can provide the attention he needs."

"Perhaps you and I can have a talk while Grail is healing, then." Bane said, glaring at Bergan. The Purple dragon frowned.

"Yes, of course. I'd be more than happy to speak with you, my old friend. But what about?"

…

After the incident at Elenar's grave, Grail was attended to by several medical staff. He had received a large slash across his left eye, permanently losing the use of it. Albanion decided to stay with Grail to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Bane and Bergan had a long discussion about the night when Bergan mated with Elenar.

"I suppose you believe I raped her." Bergan said. "I can assure you, Bane, that I would never have mated with Elenar without her consent. And I have raised her daughter as best as I could these past eight years."

"I'm not sure I believe you, Bergan." Bane said. Bergan had hurt look.

"When have I ever given you a reason to doubt my words, Bane? I swear to you on my father's grave: I did not Molest Elenar!"

Bane thought for a moment. He hadn't seen Bergan in several years. Perhaps immediately doubting his friend's trustworthiness right off the bat wasn't the wisest course of action.

"Say, where _is_ Elenar, anyway?" Bergan asked. "Is she in The Hive?"

Bane sighed sadly. "Bergan, a horrible travesty has befallen my people…."

The black dragon spent a good while explaining how The Hive was reduced to ruins by the Darkstalkers' attack, and how he had lost his Father, wife, and one of his sons. Bergan sighed in pity.

"You have my condolences, my friend." He said. "Urobos was a good man, and Elenar was a wonderful woman. And I'm sure your son Rune was a good little cub as well."

Tears poured out of Bane's eyes.

"I've only recently become King, and already my people have become doomed to face extinction. I've failed all of them. I have no idea what to do to fix this."

Bane buried his face in his front paws, crying. A grin spread across Bergan's face.

"I believe I can help you, Bane." The Black dragon looked up at the Purple dragon.

"How?"

"There is a considerable amount of metal that could be salvaged from the wreckage, correct?"

"Well, it's possible. Why?"

"Come with me to my home in Faeshrine. I have an idea."

…

A few days later, in the city of Faeshrine.

It was the middle of the evening. Tyrrany wandered through the Faeshrine Trading Company headquarters by herself. Expensive paintings hung from the walls and a soft carpet covered the floor. Outside the windows, birds sang in the warm afternoon.

The young cub was wearing her disguise to hide her Snow White scales. She managed to give her Nanny the slip again, and was roaming the FTC HQ's many hallways. She was supposed to be going to bed now, but she didn't want to. She fought back the urge to lay down and went off to roam the building.

Young Tyrrany was eight years old. She was a small dragon cub, with short, slightly chubby limbs. Her horns were only short stubs, and her black mane was tangled and messy. She had big, blood red eyes, and her head was a little to big for her small body.

Tyrrany was looking for her father Bergan. This was the night he was supposed to return from his business trip. During the times he was away, Tyrrany felt completely alone. She rarely got any of the grown-ups to pay attention to her, and the other children were always mean to her. There was one kid Tyrrany hoped that she didn't run into.

_Please oh please don't let me run into Jenna again_, she thought.

Jenna was a Pink memory dragoness, and the daughter of two of the FTC's senior partners. She was only nine years old, but she was Tyrrany's worst bully. Jenna was always making fun of her or shoving her around.

Tyrrany turned around a corner and saw a large glass doorway in the middle of the hall. Tyrrany gulped. That doorway led to the FTC's nursery, where the senior partners left their children to play in during the day. Tyrrany hated going in there. Every time she went inside, she was hopelessly bullied by Jenna and her goons. So, Tyrrany did her best to avoid going inside.

This particular time, Tyrrany was only passing by the door to keep walking. But even that was dangerous: There was a chance that Jenna might see her and chase after her.

_I'm going to have to run as fast as I can to get by._

Tyrrany took a few steps back, and then ran as fast as she could, rushing right past the door to the nursery. After she was a good distance away, Tyrrany came to a stop. She turned to face behind herself and looked around: Jenna was nowhere in sight. Tyrrany breathed a sigh of relief.

"She didn't see me." Tyrrany said happily. "Or maybe she wasn't in there at all. Thank the ancestors."

The disguised cub continued turned back around and walked onwards. Suddenly, Tyrrany's head split with a painful headache and she squeaked in surprise. The pain grew worse and worse by the second.

Tyrrany fell to the floor, clutching her head and crying in pain. She heard a faint laughing nearby. The disguised cub looked up and saw Jenna walking towards her, followed by a Fire dragon named Rave and an Earth dragon named Gregory. Rave and Gregory were two more children of the senior partners, and they always helped Jenna torment Tyrrany.

"You didn't think you could get away, did you, freak?" Jenna asked, gleaming. Tyrrany struggled to get back onto her paws.

"Leave me alone, Jenna!" She yelled. The Pink cub laughed.

"No, I won't." She looked between Rave and Gregory. "Hold her down."

Tyrrany turned and tried to run away, but the other cubs were bigger and faster than her. Rave grabbed Tyrrany's left legs, while Gregory grabbed her right ones. They then pinned Tyrrany's belly against the wall. Jenna laughed as Tyrrany cried.

"Stop it!" She begged. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you're a freak!" Rave yelled.

"Yeah, just look at you!" Gregory yelled. "You're always wearing that strange black getup."

"What did I ever do to you?"

"You make us have to look at you everyday." Jenna answered. "_That's_ what you did."

"That's not fair!"

"You're right." Gregory said. "It's not fair that we have to look at your ugly mug every day."

"Hey guys, I think it's time for Tyrrany's daily treatment!" Rave shouted. Tyrrany gasped.

"Hey, you're right!" Jenna said. "Thank you for reminding me, Rave."

"No! Not the treatment again!" Tyrrany shouted.

Jenna walked up to Tyrrany and punched her hard in the back. The trapped cub howled pain.

"One!" Jenna yelled. She punched Tyrrany again. "Two!"

"Stop it!" Tyrrany yelled, crying harder. Another hard punch came.

"Three!"

Jenna continued punching Tyrrany, until she reached the number eight.

"There! One for every year you didn't see your Mommy!" Jenna gleamed. Tyrrany didn't say anything. She only cried.

"Aww, are you still sad that you don't have a mommy?" Jenna asked. "Well, I'm glad that _I_ have a mommy." Jenna looked between Rave and Gregory. "How about you guys? Do either of _you_ have a mommy?"

"I have one." Gregory said.

"Me too!" Rave added.

"So the only one who doesn't have a mommy is Tyrrany!" Jenna said. She put her paws over her eyes and rubbed them as if she were crying. "Oh, boo-boo! I'm Tyrrany, and I don't have a mommy! Boo-boo!"

Rave and Gregory laughed and laughed, while Tyrrany cried.

"Stop making fun of me!" she begged. "Please!"

"Are we done with her?" Gregory asked Jenna.

"We're done, for now." She answered.

Rave and Gregory let go of Tyrrany's legs, letting her fall backwards. The cub landed hard on her back. She rolled over to the side and cried some more.

"See you later, freak!" Jenna said while walking away. "I hope you don't miss your mommy too much!"

The three bullies left Tyrrany curled up on the floor, crying a river of tears.

_Why? _She asked herself._ Why do I have to be tortured every day? Why is everyone except Daddy always so mean to me? Why do I have to hide my scale color? And why isn't Mommy around?_

Tyrrany shut her eyes, and spent several minutes crying to herself. And then, she heard an grown-up's voice call to her.

"Tyrrany?"

The cub opened her eyes, and looked up to see Mr. Anthony looking down at her. Flame, his son, was standing next to the grown-up's front right leg, watching her.

"Why are you crying on the floor?" Mr. Anthony asked. The young girl got up onto her legs and looked up at him.

"Jenna and the others were picking on me again." She said.

"Is that so?" Mr. Anthony asked. "Well, I'll talk to Jenna's parents about this later."

"You will?"

"Yes. In the meantime, I need you to come with me. Your father is home."

Tyrrany's eyes lit up.

"Daddy's back?" Mr. Anthony nodded yes.

"He's looking for you. Come."

"Okay."

Mr. Anthony turned around and walked forwards, Flame and Tyrrany close behind. As they walked, Flame started whispering to Tyrrany.

"Are you okay, Anny?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She lied.

"Are you sure? You don't look it."

"I'm okay, Flame."

"Alright, if you say so."

But Tyrrany wasn't fine. She was still very sad. The whole time the three dragons wandered through the many hallways and corridors of the FTC's HQ, Tyrrany thought about her mother.

_Where are you, mommy?_

…

Bergan sat at his desk in his Office. Bane was sitting across from him. The two were waiting for Bergan's daughter to arrive. Bane had requested to see her.

"Tyrrany is not going to be happy with the knowledge that her mother has passed on." Bergan said.

"Tyrrany?" Bane asked. "Isn't her name Hope?"

"Hmm?" Bergan asked. "Ah, right. You see, Bane, in order to conceal the fact that the girl was the daughter of a Dark dragon, I decided to give her the alias Tyrrany."

"Okay, but why the name Tyrrany?" Bane asked.

"Is there something wrong with the name?"

"No, it's fine. It's just…." Bane began. He couldn't finish, however: A large red dragon followed by two young cubs walked into the office and cut the King off.

"Here's your daughter, Mr. President." The dragon said.

"Thank you, Anthony." Bergan responded, smiling.

One of the cubs, small Purple-hided female wearing an odd black outfit, ran around the desk and up to Bergan.

"Daddy, you're home!" She shouted happily.

Bergan smiled, picking the cub up and holding her in his front legs. Meanwhile, Anthony and the other cub left the office.

"Ah, my sweet little girl." He said happily.

"I missed you, Daddy!" She said.

"And _I_ missed _you_, Tyrrany."

"Tyrrany?" Bane asked, confused. "_This_ is Tyrrany? I thought her hide was White."

"It _is_ White." Bergan said. When Bane looked confused, Bergan pulled out a small white rag from his pocket.

"Here, let me show you."

Bergan pulled the cub's hood back, revealing a black mane and grey horns: the same colors and shape that Elenar had. Bergan began wiping Tyrrany's face with the rag.

"Daaaaddy!" Tyrrany complained. "Stop it!"

"This will only take a moment, dear." He said, smiling. "Just be patient."

When Bergan was done, he showed Bane Tyrrany's face. It was a Sparkling white.

"You see, Bane," Bergan began. "I have Tyrrany wear this black outfit and purple makeup to hide her hide color. I'm sure you know the reason."

"The curse of Runileon the Wicked." Bane said.

"Exactly."

"Who is this man, Daddy?" Tyrrany asked.

"Tyrrany, this is an old friend of mine. His name is Bane."

"Uh, hello, Tyrrany." Bane greeted awkwardly.

"Hello, Mr. Bane." The cub said to him. "Why is he here, Daddy?" Bergan frowned.

"Well, Tyrrany, Mr. Bane has come bringing some sad news."

"What news, Daddy?"

"Are you sure you want to know, Tyrrany?" The young cub shook her head yes. Bergan sighed.

"Well, alright. Tyrrany, a few days ago, your mother passed away."

The young cub's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"She's gone." Bane said, struggling to keep from crying. "I'm sorry."

"I…I don't understand." Tyrrany said, eyes starting to water slightly. "My mommy's…dead?"

Bergan sighed. He comforted his daughter as she burst into tears. Bane knelt his head down, not wanting to look at the sight. Tyrrany's sorrow reminded Bane of Cyrus's sorrow.

Bergan rocked back and forth, doing his best to calm his daughter down.

"Be strong, my little one." He said soothingly. "Be strong."

After a while, Bergan managed to get Tyrrany to fall asleep. He then pulled a small blanket out of one of his desk drawers, wrapped Tyrrany up in it, and laid her down on her desk. Bane was confused.

"What's this about?" The Black dragon asked.

"This isn't the first time Tyrrany's fallen asleep at my desk." Bergan chuckled. "I've learned to be prepared for when she does. But enough about my daughter: Let's talk about The Darkstalkers."

Bane growled at the name. "_Darkstalkers_…"

"Yes, the fiends who destroyed your home and laid waste to the lives of your family." Bergan got up from his desk and started walking back and forth.

"As you probably already know, I am the only Light dragon who was entrusted with the knowledge that The Hive existed. So, I'm sure you think I'm the one who told the Darkstalkers that it existed."

"Actually, I didn't think that at all." Bane said.

"That's good, because I didn't. Now, I don't know how they figured it out, though it's likely that one of your subordinates let the information slip."

"That's not possible. All of my people are specially trained to avoid even _mentioning_ the name, 'The Hive.'

"All of them?" Bergan asked.

"Yes. The only Dark dragons who could've made the mistake would have to be…" Bane gasped in shock.

"What is it, Bane?"

"….my sons."

"What?"

"My sons, Rune and Cyrus. They weren't taught how to avoid talking about The Hive."

"You mean to say that one of your own sons let the knowledge slip?" Bergan asked, astounded. "That's quite a mistake to make."

"I…I don't know for sure." Bane responded. "When I see Cyrus next, I'll have to scry his memories to see if it was him. If it wasn't, then it had to have been Rune."

"If it turns out that it was Cyrus, will you forgive him?" Bergan asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"….It depends on _how _he let the knowledge get to the Darkstalkers."

"I see. But enough of that. Bane, what would you say if I told you that I have a map of every single Darkstalker outpost in the world?"

Bane was dumbstruck. "Not possible!"

"Oh it's quite possible!" Bergan said. He reached into a drawer, pulled out a brown map, and sat it down before Bane. "And there it is. It's yours now."

Bane picked up the map and looked it over.

"How did you manage to get this?" Bergan chuckled.

"The Faeshrine Trading Company is the largest Trading organization in the Dragon Realms. I've done so much business with the Darkstalkers that they made me an honorary member."

"_You're_ a Darkstalker?"

"Of course not! I only joined to gain access to their business! And that was several years ago. If I really was a Darkstalker, I would have told the Cult about the existence of The Hive long ago. And once they found out about it, they would've attacked immediately. I've kept the word I gave to Elenar all this time."

"Why are you giving me this map, then?"

"So that you may exact your revenge on every last one of them."

"Revenge?"

"The Darkstalkers are like a Cancer. They'll take and take from you and your people until you're all dead. You must strike them when they least expect it. Slaughter them like they did your people."

"You know what, Bergan?" Bane said, grinning. "You're right. I _should_ slaughter them! They're the reason the Dark dragon race had to go into hiding in the first place! I'll make them pay. I'll make them _all_ pay, and they'll never see me coming!" Bergan grinned as well.

"That's right!" He shouted. "You will be the **Bane** of their existence!"

The two dragons had a laugh. Tyrrany grumbled a little, but stayed asleep. Once the two settled down, Bergan spoke again.

"Now then, on to the matter of rebuilding your home. I am prepared to have my Mole employees rebuild your fallen city from a combination of the scraps that can be salvaged from The Hive, and several newer components. And I'll perform the job completely free of charge."

"There are so few of my people left, a city will be too large for them." Bane said. "Perhaps something smaller, like a Fortress."

"Hmm, a Fortress, you say?" Bergan asked. "That will take far less time and recourses. Sure, I'll build a Fortress for you."

"I'll name it, The Nexus." Bane added.

"As you wish. And now, on to the final matter."

"What might that be?"

"Do you still possess the crystal that you told me about?"

"Of course. I have it with me right here." Bane reached pulled out a large Purple Crystal form his robes. It served as a reminder of his encounter with Malefor at the center of the world.

Bergan stared at the Crystal, smirking. "Amazing…." He glanced at the Black dragon. "Bane, follow me. There's something I wish to show you."

Bane got up from the Desk, while Bergan got up as well, lifting his daughter by her gruff. Bergan led Bane over to the back left corner of the Purple dragon's office.

"What is this about?" Bane asked confused.

Bergan held his front left paw up against a specific stone in the wall. Suddenly, a secret door opened up in the wall, revealing a hidden spiral staircase.

"Amazing…" Bane said, astounded.

"Watch your step." Bergan replied.

As the two dragons walked through, the secret door shut behind them.

…

Bergan led Bane down to the very bottom of the staircase. It opened up to a Antechamber. The antechamber had piles of Gold, Silver and Bronze coins allover the floor. Various portraits of different dragons from all across history covered the walls.

"Please pardon the mess." Bergan said. "I get very few visitors down here."

"What is this place?"

"My own private sanctuary."

Eventually, the antechamber opened up to a much larger chamber. The chamber had six giant portraits on the left and right walls: three on each wall. Four of the Portraits were of purple dragons, while the other two were of White dragons. Bane recognized two of the six dragons: The Purple dragon Malefor, and the White dragon Runileon.

"Malefor and Runileon?" Bane asked, confused.

"Gluttony and Wrath…." Bergan said.

"What?" Bergan approached the middle of the chamber and placed Tyrrany on the floor.

"Tell me, Bane: Can you recognize any of the other dragons you see here?"

Bane looked around at them. " I can not."

Bergan pointed to the first Purple dragon on the right wall: A female with four black horns, A wild, blood red mane and eyes of a sickening Green color.

"That woman is Amouris, the first bride of Inferdus, the first King of Clan Aries." Bergan pointed to the White female next to her. "That one is Adpetis, a White dragoness.."

"I thought Runileon was the first White dragon." Bane said.

"In a way, yes. Runileon was the first White-hided **dragon**, as in Male. There were female White dragons before him."

"That's a dirty pun."

"Well, it can't be helped." Bergan pointed to the next dragon. "That one is, of course, Runileon, as you pointed out before…" Bergan shifted his front leg over to the other side of the wall, pointing at the last dragon in the row: a Purple male. "Here we have Malefor. You know all about him…" Bergan moved to the next portrait. "That man is Desysto. He's a Purple dragon who came long before Malefor…." Bergan then pointed at the very last portrait. "…And finally, we have Lucrun, a dragon who came long before Desysto."

Bergan turned and faced Bane.

"Six dragons. Six periods in history. But they all have one thing in common: They had the power of Convexity, and attempted to destroy the entire world."

Bane glanced around at the dragons, astounded.

"How did you ever get these portraits?" He asked.

"They were crafted through great amounts of scrying through hundreds of history books from over a dozen libraries all across the world." Bergan answered. "Of all the many evil dragons of the world, it was these six who came the closest to bringing it to its end, via an event called 'The Great Cleansing'. I call them, the Victiumirti."

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Recently, I discovered a way to artificially harness the power of Convexity, even though I only have four elements. Since you have a Convexity Crystal in your possession, I can teach you to do the same thing."

"That doesn't answer my question." Bane snapped. Bergan smirked.

"I suppose you could consider this a warning."

"A warning?"

"Each and every one of these dragons tried to bring the end of the entire world, betraying their own kind. You should keep you ambitions smaller: Instead of the world, destroy only your enemies. Then, once your people are the only ones that remain, they shall inherit the Dragon Realms. Do you understand."

"I believe so…" Bane said. "Tell me, Bergan: You're doing so much for me. What is it you want in return?"

"Can't I lend an old friend some aid, no questions asked?' Bergan asked.

"It wouldn't feel right if I didn't reciprocate."

"Well, if you insist…" Bergan turned his back, thinking for a moment. He then turned back around and spoke.

"First, when you go on your 'Death to Darkstalkers' campaign, I want you to avoid attacking Faeshrine at all costs."

"Faeshrine shall be spared." Bane said.

"Second, when you no longer require the use of The Nexus, I want it given to me."

"It will be yours."

"Third, You will keep the knowledge of this chamber to yourself."

"My lips are sealed."

"And finally, I wish to keep custody of my daughter for the time being. And you will tell no one about her true Hide color."

"As far as they know, she is a purple dragon with an odd fashion sense."

"Thank you, Bane."

The two dragons approached and shook paws in agreement.

"Now then," Bergan said, "Let me teach you the first things you need to know about Convexity…"

…

One month later, in the middle of the night.

Two young dragon cubs, a Black one in Glenhaven, and a White one in Faeshrine, looked out their windows. Both were thinking of the same person: Elenar, their mother. But, their thoughts were completely at odds with each other.

The Black one cried because he believed he caused his mother's death.

The White one cried because she believed her mother threw her away.

The Black one would grow up believing his mother considered him a traitor.

The White one would grow up believing that her mother was the traitor.

And one day, in the city of Warfang, the Black one and the White one would meet face to face for the first time…


	9. Act 3, Chapter 1

Act 3, Chapter 1

Ever since they escaped from the realm of Convexity, Elza and Tina were traveling to the city of Glenhaven. Oddly enough, even though Cyrus wanted Tina to stay away from Glenhaven, the two dragonesses found that the portal led them to the Eastern edge of the Arcus desert. Glenhaven wasn't too far away.

"Why would he send me so close to the place he wanted me to stay away from?" Tina asked, confused.

"Perhaps he knew more about our plan to escape than he let on." Elza answered.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Isn't it strange that he suddenly 'changed his mind' right before I was going to strike him from behind?"

"Well, it _did _seem awfully convenient."

"Bergan may not have as great a control over Cyrus than we first believed. It's possible that Cyrus _wanted_ you to go to Glenhaven."

"Why?"

"Maybe he wants you to help him break free of Bergan's control completely."

Tina sighed.

"Well, let's head for Glenhaven, then." The giant dragoness said.

For a good period of time, the two dragonesses traveled nonstop towards the city. As the approached, Tina couldn't help but wonder a few things.

"What do we do once we're there, Miss Elza?" Tina asked.

"Hmmm…"

"What?"

"I don't know. I suppose we'll find out when we reach Glenhaven."

"How am I going to get into the city looking like _this_?" Elza chuckled.

"I'm sure we'll find a way for you to get into the city without getting noticed."

…

Nellie quickly dodged to the right. A barrage of Lightning bolts flew right by her in her haste. The Water dragoness ran in a ring around Roxanne, the latter sending blast after blast of Lightning right for her.

"What's wrong, Nellie?" Roxanne chided. "Afraid you might get hit if you get too close?"

As this happened, the part of the crowd cheered with excitement, while the other part booed. Who was cheering for who, it couldn't be figured out.

One side of the Arena bleachers, Blank, Emerald and Ember were cheering Nellie on.

"Come on, girl!" Blank exclaimed. "Stop dodging and take her down!"

"You can do this, Nellie!" Emerald shouted.

"Yeah, you can do it!" Ember added.

The fight had lasted for only a few minutes now, but it had already grown intense. Roxanne was intent on defeating Nellie as fast as possible. The Yellow dragoness had started spamming her Lightning unrelentingly, firing multiple short bursts to conserve her Magical Energy. Nellie, however, had not launched a single Breath attack since the start of the fight. She was saving it. She had a plan…

Roxanne was a fast dragoness, but Nellie was _faster_. Slowly but surely, Nellie was getting behind the other girl.

Roxanne launched another barrage of Lightning bolts at Nellie, who proceeded to dodge them.

"Why don't you fight, coward?" Roxanne shouted.

_I hope this works…._ Nellie thought.

As the Water dragoness was starting to dodge again, she acted as though she was dodging to the right again. As Roxanne sent Lighting bolts in that direction, Nellie immediately swerved to head the other way. Before Roxanne could react, Nellie opened her mouth and hit Roxanne's feet with Ice breath. In less than a moment, the Lightning dragoness found that her legs were completely encased in ice, stuck in place.

"Why you dirty cheat!" Roxanne bellowed. Nellie grinned.

"Using our breath weapons isn't cheating!" She shouted.

Roxanne proceeded to launch more Lightning bolts at Nellie, as the Blue dragoness started dodging them to get closer to her.

Meanwhile, the dragons rooting for Nellie cheered. Among them were Blank, Emerald and Ember.

"Yeah!" Blank yelled. "Good work Nellie!"

On another side of the bleachers, Rune watched the fight, a frown on his face.

_There's no point in all this._ Rune sighed.

_**Actually, there is.**_ Runefor said. _**Nellie is proving just how worthy she is to belong to us.**_

_That's not it at all!_

_**Perhaps not to you.**_ Rune sighed.

_At least she's not getting hurt._

On yet another side, Tyrrany was watching the battle with absolute concentration.

"Don't you think you should step in now?" Flame asked. The disguised dragoness shook her head.

"I'll wait a little longer." She responded. "Let's see how well Nellie can do on her own first."

Back down on the lower floor, Roxanne was struggling between breaking free of the ice and attacking Nellie, who was still trying to get behind her. Once the Water dragoness was finally behind Roxanne, the Lightning dragoness used all her might to force her way out of the ice. As Nellie charging from behind, Roxanne finally broke free of the ice, quickly spun her head around, and fired a Lightning bolt at Nellie's face. The attack hit the Water dragoness right between the eyes, sending her falling to the ground.

The part of the crowd gasped.

"Oh No!" Rune shouted.

_**That was BOUND to happen! **_Runefor exclaimed. _**That's going to cost her.**_

"Nellie, get up!" Ember shouted. "Don't let her win!"

Nellie rolled out of the way of a few more Lightning bolts, clutching her face. Pain filled her head. She called upon her Water magic to heal her wound, but since she had to keep moving, she was barely able to do anything at all.

"Should you step in _now_?" Flame asked Tyrrany.

"Not yet." the dragoness answered.

Roxanne chased after Nellie, still attacking with her storm of Lightning. The Water dragoness dodged around more, trying to heal her head.

"Come on, Nellie!" Roxanne exclaimed. "Fight like a _real_ dragon!"

Nellie's heart raced. She had to last for a few more minutes. She had to keep her Magic conserved for only the right moments. Roxanne chased Nellie around the arena. The crowed booed and booed. The Yellow dragoness continued her onslaught….

And then, after Roxanne opened her mouth to fire more Lightning bolts, none came out. She gasped, trying again several more times, but to no avail.

"Oh shit!" Roxanne exclaimed. Nellie turned around and grinned. This was her plan all along. Roxanne had wasted all of her Energy. Nellie, however, still had plenty.

"Now it's _my_ turn!" The Water dragoness shouted.

Nellie proceeded to charge at Roxanne. The Yellow dragoness stood her ground and started trying to claw at Nellie's exposed areas. The crowd got excited again as the fight commenced.

"She waited for the other girl to run out of Energy?" Arthur asked.

"That was pretty risky." Flame added.

"Perhaps it would have been, if she was fighting a different enemy." Tyrrany replied. "This Roxanne, however, seems to rely on an unending barrage of Magic strikes. A foolhardy tactic. She wasted her power, and now she's at a disadvantage."

"You're one to talk." Arthur said.

"Why is that?"

"Don't you rely solely on magic in a fight?"

"That's different. I have far more magical energy than normal dragons. You should already know that."

"Right…" the dragonfly rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Nellie had gotten Roxanne on the ropes. She managed to freeze the Lightning dragoness's legs in place again. As she struggled to break free, Nellie got up close to her opponent's face.

"Eat this, bitch!" Nellie shouted.

She opened her mouth to hit Roxanne with a blast of Ice breath. The beam came flying out of her mouth….

Suddenly, the Ice beam stopped in midair and flew backwards. The beam struck Nellie so hard that it sent her flying backwards.

The crowd murmured in confusion.

"What just happened?" Blank asked.

"How did Nellie hit herself with her own attack?" Ember added.

"I don't know!" Emerald said.

Roxanne was dumfounded.

"What the fuck?" She said. She slowly broke free of her Ice prison as Nellie struggled onto her feet.

"What happened?" Nellie asked. "How did my attack backfire?" Roxanne grinned.

"I don't know, but you're FUCKED now!"

Meanwhile, up in the bleachers, Tyrrany was grinning. It was **she** who made Nellie's attack backfire.

"Sorry, Nellie." She said silently. "I can't let you end the fight just yet."

Nellie and Roxanne got back into their fighting stances, and the battle continued.

…

Anthony and Richard stood in front of the Glenhaven Palace. Hours ago, they had received permission to have their caravan of traders conduct business in the city. However, that was just a cover for their real intentions.

All around the Palace, a multitude of FTC soldiers were secretly stationed for battle, all of them wearing the special metal gauntlets that were constructed on the Sweet Memories.

"Remember what the scrolls said," Richard stated. "We are to capture Prince Rune and his blue friend."

"To do that, we shall prevent anyone from entering or leaving the Palace." Anthony added. "Bergan shall take care of the rest."

"Exactly." Richard said. "Let's begin."

…

The battle between Nellie and Roxanne had become increasingly intense.

At random, either the Water or the Lightning dragoness would suddenly become filled with adrenaline, and proceed to chase and attack the other unrelentingly. And then, the girl would suddenly return to normal in an instant, and become tired.

As Rune watched the battle, he couldn't help but wonder.

_Something isn't right about this battle_, he thought.

_**Right you are, Rune.**_

_What makes you say that?_

_**Look closely at the two girls.**_

Rune looked back and forth between Nellie and Roxanne.

_**Do you see anything.. Out of the ordinary?**_

_No…._

_**If you look close enough, you'll notice that, during one of the girls' sudden bursts of adrenaline, they instantly stop panting and move faster than normal. And then, the bursts suddenly come to an abrupt end, and they are left exhausted again.**_

_That IS kind of strange…._

_**Someone is tampering with the fight. **_Rune gasped.

_Who?_

_**I am not sure. Look around the arena, and try to spot anybody who's behaving strangely.**_

For a minute or two, Rune let his eyes wander around the crowd, looking for anybody who was acting unusual. Most of the dragons he saw were cheering or booing at the fight.

_I don't see anyone acting differently than they should._

_**Keep looking. **_Runefor commanded. _**We need to spot this interloper before- **_Runefor suddenly gasped. _**I've spotted them!**_

_You have? Where!_

_**Look across the arena, directly in front of you!**_

Rune looked where his other self said, but didn't spot anything strange.

_I don't see them._

_**Look for a two dragons with a green dragonfly, all sitting together! **_After looking some more, Rune finally located the trio.

_THEY'RE the ones interfering?_

_**It's only the purple dragon wearing odd clothing, but you're more or less correct.**_

_How is he doing it?_

_**The interloper is a female.**_

_Okay, then. How is SHE doing it?_

_**She is silently concentrating on either one girl of the other. As she does so, the girl she was focusing on suddenly becomes filled with energy. When the interloper looks away, the girl becomes tired again.**_

_So, what do we do about it?_

_**What do you think, idiot? We STOP her!**_

_Alright._

Rune quietly got up from where he was sitting and slipped to the back wall of the Arena. He then proceeded to make a bee line towards the other end of the room, where the interfering dragoness was sitting.

…

Down in the arena, Nellie and Roxanne were standing on opposite ends of the room, glaring at each other and breathing heavily. The crowd had been roaring in cheers at the incredible spectacle.

Nellie didn't know what had been happening. Suddenly, she found her Magic behaving strangely. And at random instances, she would be filled with incredible energy and adrenaline, only for it to vanish instantly a moment later.

But it didn't matter. Nellie wanted to win this fight. She wasn't about to go down after fighting so hard. There was no way she was going to lose.

"Feeling like giving up, Rox?" She yelled. The Yellow dragoness scoffed.

"You must be joking!" She shouted. "I'm going to make you pay for stealing Rune!"

"I knew it!" Nellie exclaimed. "You've been after Rune this whole time!"

"Of course, you stupid cunt!"

Roxanne and Nellie charged forwards, slashing and clawing at each other. The whole time, the yellow dragoness shouted at her opponent.

"I've wanted to be with Rune for years, but I was always too afraid to tell him. But then, four years ago, you and him vanished. And when you finally returned, you started _dating_ him!"

"You snooze, you lose, Rox!" Nellie shouted. Roxanne tried to slash at Nellie, but she missed.

"He's your BROTHER, you incestuous pig!"

"He was never my REAL brother!"

"Either way, you STOLE him away from me!"

"You should have made a move when you had the chance!"

The two girls continued their fight, trying their hardest to defeat each other. They were too busy fighting to realize what was appearing around them…

…

Tyrrany watched the battle before her, a smirk on her face. She had been using her Memory element to infuse either girl with a large amount of Magical Energy, enabling them to battle at peak performance. When it looked like the girl would win the battle in a few more attacks, Tyrrany ended the transfer of Energy, leaving the girl tired, and the fight continued.

"Why don't you just put Nellie in danger already?" Arthur asked in a whisper.

"I'm waiting for Rune to start getting concerned for Nellie's safety." The dragoness answered. "What is he doing?"

"Uh, he's gone!" Flame responded.

"What?" Tyrrany asked.

"Look for yourself." Flame pointed to the spot where Rune was sitting earlier. He was gone.

"Where is he?" Tyrrany demanded.

"Beats me!"

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Rune was slowly getting closer to the interfering dragoness.

_What should I do to make her stop tampering with the battle?_

_**I suggest a swift blow to the head. That's GUARENTEED to ruin her concentration!**_

_That's not very subtle._

_**What did YOU have in mind? Asking her nicely to stop? **_Runefor scoffed. _**Sometimes, violence IS the answer!**_

Rune ignored Runefor's mocking and continued onwards. He was a few yards behind the dragoness when…..

Several people in the crowd started gasping. People started murmuring in alarm.

"What's going on?" Tyrrany asked. She hadn't been paying attention.

"Anny, look!" Flame shouted, pointing at the Arena floor. Tyrrany looked around, and gasped in shock.

All around the dueling girls, several pools of Dark Energy started forming. Several monsters, half bird and half reptile, started crawling out of the Darkness. The girls were completely unaware of the monsters.

"What are those?" Tyrrany demanded.

"Beats me!" Flame answered.

Suddenly, a wall of black fire appeared on the far end of the edge of the giant hole in the floor, which quickly started spreading.

"Oh-no!" Tyrrany shouted. She didn't know what was happening, but it couldn't be good. She immediately jumped down to the lower floor.

When Rune saw what was happening, he ran forwards.

"I've got to help Nellie!" He exclaimed. Rune pushed past the other dragons and jumped down to the lower floor, just as the wall of black fire closed completely around the edge.

"Anny!" Flame shouted. He tried to jump in too, but the wall of fire blocked him.

…

As soon as Tyrrany landed on the Arena floor, she unleashed a blast of Fire breath, burning several of the monsters to ashes. She then ran up to the two girls.

"Stop fighting each other!" She exclaimed.

Nellie and Roxanne stopped fighting and looked at the intruder, surprised.

"What are _you _doing here?" Nellie demanded.

"No time for that!" Tyrrany shouted. She turned and attacked several of the approaching monsters. The Water and Lightning dragonesses looked around the arena, now realizing they were surrounded by hideous monsters.

"What the?" Roxanne shouted, shocked.

"Crepsculi?" Nellie exclaimed. "HOW?"

"Less talking, more fighting!" Tyrrany yelled.

When Rune came to a landing, his mouth dropped open in horror. Nellie, Roxanne and the dragoness who had interfered with the battle were locked in combat against a swarm of Crepsculi. The strange dragoness was fighting well enough, but the other girls were having trouble fighting back, due to their fatigue.

_**This will prove to be interesting! **_Runefor shouted.

Rune ran forwards, tore his robes away, and leapt into battle. He sliced through several Crepsculi and stood beside the Water and Lightning dragonesses. They were surprised to see him.

"Rune?" Nellie exclaimed.

"Rune!" Roxanne shouted.

_Rune…._ Tyrrany said with contempt in her mind.

"I'm here to help, girls!" Rune shouted.

The four dragons stood on their guard in the center of the arena, surrounded by a swarm of Crepsculi. Then, Rune and Tyrrany leapt forwards, both of them unleashing a mighty blast of Fire breath.

As the lethargic dragonesses stood watch, The Black dragon and the White dragoness fought as one, summoning mighty blasts of magic to destroy their enemies.

"Who are you?" Rune shouted to his "ally".

"I'm a friend." She answered coldly.

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes!"

"Then why were you interfering with the fight?"

Nellie and Roxanne gasped.

"She was the one who made my attack backfire?" Nellie asked.

"Can't this discussion wait until after this battle?" Tyrrany shouted. "I can explain later!"

"Fine!" Rune shouted.

Rune and Tyrrany continued fighting, doing their best to defend Nellie and Roxanne.

…

Right after the black dragon jumped down to the lower section of the Arena, the crowd started murmuring in shock and confusion.

"What's happening?" Blank shouted. "Why are there Crepsculi here?"

"Crepsculi?" Ember asked. "You mean those strange monsters?"

Over on another side of the Arena, Telus was enraged.

"We must find who's responsible for this!" the Earth Elder bellowed.

Suddenly, several giant pools of Darkness started appearing allover the walls of the Arena's upper floor. Dozens of Crepsculi started crawling out of the pools, and started flying around the Arena.

The dragons did what they've been training to do: They fought.

Allover the place, the dragons battled the unending assault of the disgusting creatures. The sound of Magic exploding in and out of existence filled the air.

"Get the younger dragons out of here!" Telus ordered, swatting a Crepsculi out of the air. "Everyone else, destroy these monsters!"

During the chaos, Flame ran about frantically. Arthur struggled to keep up.

"What are you doing?" the dragonfly exclaimed.

"We've got to find a way to get to Anny!" He shouted.

Flame looked around. He spotted the hallway that the many younger dragons were being sent down. A few adult dragons were knocking back any Crepsculi that attacked.

"There!" Flame shouted. "We'll try going that way!"

"Do you think they'll let us through?" Arthur asked.

"Who cares? Not me!" Flame shouted. "I'm going to help Anny!"

And with that, Flame took off. Arthur sighed, following close behind.

…

Rune was starting to get tired. No matter how many Crepsculi he killed, more just appeared and took their place.

He paused to catch his breath.

_I'm not sure how long I can keep this up!_

_**Bah! Quit complaining and fight!**_

Groaning, Rune continued fighting the Crepsculi. He watched how the strange dragoness continued fighting at top performance.

"How are you doing that?" He asked her.

"Doing what?" She exclaimed.

"How are you fighting without getting tired?"

"It doesn't matter!"

After who knows how much time, Rune, Nellie, Roxanne and Tyrrany were in the center of the arena once again. The Crepsculi still surrounded them.

"Oh, this is bad." Roxanne said, fear on her face.

"Really? I had no idea, Rox." Nellie replied sarcastically.

"They just keep coming!" Rune shouted. Tyrrany snarled.

The four dragons prepared for the next wave of Crepsculi to attack….

But instead of attacking, the surrounding Crepsculi started backing away from them. The dragons were confused.

"What are they doing?" Nellie asked.

"I…don't know." Rune answered.

"They must be up to something." Tyrrany said.

Suddenly, a giant black portal appeared high up in the air, directly over the dragons.

"What the-?" Rune asked.

Before he could finish, a giant black monster immediately flew out of the portal. The four dragons scattered before the monster crushed them by landing. The beast looked around at the four dragons, snarling.

The monster looked like a giant Black dragon. It seemed to have a thin yet muscular build. It's grey mane was big and wild. It had four Dark grey horns: Two larger ones that curled backwards, and two smaller ones that took on a tusk-like shape. It's two eyes had a deep purple glow.

Rune spotted something that made him gasp. The Black dragon had four glowing red birthmarks: Two on its front upper arms, and two on each of its sides.

"Cyrus?"

The giant black dragon roared and attacked the smaller dragons.


	10. Act 3, Chapter 2

Act 3, Chapter 2

Rune was so confused. This monster was Cyrus. But How? When Rune saw his brother last in Warfang, he was his normal self. Something must have happened after he left for Glenhaven. But what?

Rune dodged out of the way as Cyrus tried to crush him with a paw. The giant black dragon then tried to attack Rune with a giant blast of Concurrence breath.

"That _thing _is Cyrus?" Nellie exclaimed. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know!" Rune shouted.

The giant Cyrus swung around and tried to strike Tyrrany, who dodged out of the way in the nick of time.

"We need to get out of here!" She shouted.

Cyrus focused his attacks on his brother, who only dodged away, killing any Crepsculi who got in his way. Meanwhile, Roxanne tried to make a break for the North exit of the arena, but a sward of Crepsculi blocked her path, and she was still too tired to fight.

"Damnit!" She shouted. "We're trapped."

"Not for long!" Someone shouted.

Suddenly, Flame came running down the hall, unleashing a blast of Fire breath. Flame burned the Crepsculi blocking the North exit into ashes. Roxanne was nearly burned by Flame's attack.

"Watch it!" She snapped.

"Your welcome." Flame said sarcastically. Arthur flew up to Flame from behind, catching his breath.

"You could have waited up." the dragonfly said.

Flame turned to face Tyrrany, who was killing a few Crepsculi that tried to attack Nellie.

"Hey, Anny! We can leave through here!"

Doing that wasn't a good idea. Cyrus heard him loud and clear, and proceeded to fire a blast of Concurrence at the red dragon. Luckily, Rune managed to shove him out of the way of the giant dragon's attack. The Concurrence beam destroyed part of the stone floor.

"How do we get out?" Nellie exclaimed.

Rune got an idea.

"All of you, listen to me!" He shouted. "Head for the south exit! I'll provide a distraction!"

"How?" Tyrrany asked.

"I'll think of something!"

As Nellie, Tyrrany, Roxanne, Flame and Arthur ran for the south exit, Rune turned to face his brother. Sadness was on his face.

"Cyrus!" He exclaimed. The giant focused on him. "You've got to try and fight this!"

_**Fight what?**_ Runefor asked. _**Do you even know what's happened to him?**_

_He's been corrupted by Convexity energy._ Rune answered. _The same thing that happened to me._

Rune dodged as Cyrus fired several more blasts of Concurrence as him.

_**You can't dodge Cyrus's attacks forever, you fool. Fight back!**_

_But he's my brother!_

_**He doesn't care at the moment!**_

_Even if I have to fight him, I can't do it here!_

_**Then turn around and escape with the others, you twit!**_

Rune glanced at the South exit, then at Cyrus. Thinking quickly, Rune fired a blast of energy at the ground, filling the whole area with black smoke. Cyrus roared in rage, unable to see. Rune took advantage of his brother's blindness and ran for the exit.

He saw that the other four were waiting for him a short distance away. Suddenly, Cyrus charged after him, roaring with rage.

The six teenagers ran through the lower halls of the Palace, the giant black dragon in hot pursuit, firing a barrage of Energy blasts at them in a desperate attempt to hit them.\

…

Blank slashed the throat of one of the Crepsculi. Emerald was nearby, using her Earth breath to knock a few more against the wall of black fire. Ember was standing behind the green dragoness, too afraid to move.

"Look out!" She shouted to Emerald, pointing at a Crepsculi that was about to get the drop on the older dragoness. Emerald turned and struck the monster with an Earth blast, sending it flying.

"Thanks, Ember." She said.

"Your welcome."

The chaos had lasted for several minutes. No matter how many of the Crepsculi were killed by the many dragons in the room, more of them just kept coming. Blank was enjoying the fight, but Emerald was getting tired of it.

"They won't stop attacking!" She shouted. "We should just run while we're still ahead!"

"Yeah!" Ember agreed.

"What, and take the coward approach?" Blank asked, killing another Crepsculi. "Where's the fun in that?" The green dragoness groaned.

"It's not cowardice. And besides, we've already killed several dozen of these creatures." Blank sighed.

"Alright, fine! Let's go!"

Emerald turned to look at the younger pink dragoness behind her. "Come on, Ember. We're leaving."

"Oh, thank you!" She said happily.

Blank, Emerald and Ember ran for the exit on the east side of the Arena. As they ran, Blank and Emerald killed any Crepsculi that attacked the again. When they reached the other side of the room, Ember spotted something.

"Guys, look!" She shouted, pointing. Across the way, Vaun and Aaron were struggling to fight back against a cluster of Crepsculi that had surrounded them. A few of the monsters had knocked the brown Earth dragon onto the floor, while the Water dragon was struggling to get them off of him. Some of the monsters had started sinking their teeth into Aaron's tree-trunk limbs.

"Get them off! Get them off!" He shouted, shaking his legs.

"I'm trying!" Vaun complained. "They just keep coming!" Blank smirked.

"Should we help?" He asked Emerald.

"Well, they're jerks." she said. "But I wouldn't wish this on _anyone_."

Blank, Emerald and Ember ran towards the two other dragons. The Fire and Memory dragons tore away the Crepsculi that were covering Aaron, while the Earth dragoness helped Vaun fight back against the monsters that tried to attack afterwards. Blank extended a hand to Aaron to pull him up, which the latter grudgingly accepted.

"Thanks." The brown dragon grumbled.

"Cancel our bet, and we're even." Blank said.

"Fine."

"We're getting out of this place." Emerald told Vaun and Aaron. "You should come with us."

"We need to find Roxanne first!" Vaun shouted. "She's still in the lower Arena!"

"That can't be helped now." Blank said. "Just shut up and come on!"

The Blue and Brown dragons looked between each other, and then sighed.

"Fine." Vaun said.

"But don't think that we like you punks!" Aaron added.

"The feeling's mutual." Emerald said, an eyebrow raised.

And with that, the five dragons ran out of the Arena.

…

Rune, Nellie, Roxanne, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur fled through the many underground hallways of the Palace. The giant Cyrus was chasing after them, trying his best to strike them down with his Concurrence blasts.

Fleeing from Cyrus was a challenge. Somehow, scores of Crepsculi had flooded the building. The young dragons had to strike down any of the monsters that attacked them in their haste. However, some of the pathways had so many Crepsculi in them that the dragons had to avoid them.

After fleeing for several moments, the dragons, except for Tyrrany, were starting to run out of energy.

"We can't keep running forever!" Roxanne yelled.

"Where's the exit in this place?" Flame shouted.

"It should be coming close by!" Rune shouted.

Sure enough, after the teenagers rounded a few corners, they finally found the exit to the Palace. However, they saw something they didn't expect.

A group of Cheetahs and Tigers was blocking the doorway. They were all wearing strange white uniforms and had bizarre metal Gauntlets on their arms. Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur recognized them.

"Those are employees of the FTC!" Arthur shouted.

"What are they doing _here_?" Flame exclaimed.

"I…don't know." Tyrrany said.

"'FTC'?" Nellie asked. "What's that?"

"The Faeshrine Trading Company."

As the teenagers got close, the FTC employees raised their gauntlets in the air, which started glowing with Dark energy. Suddenly, several Crepsculi crawled out of pools of darkness on the ground.

"So _they're_ the ones responsible for all this!" Roxanne shouted.

"But why?" Tyrrany asked.

"That doesn't matter!" Rune shouted. "We're heading past them!"

The teenagers sliced through the Crepsculi and pushed past the FTC employees, who tried to stop them, but to no avail. The Giant Cyrus shoved the Cats out of the way and blasted the doorway with Concurrence, destroying the doors.

Now outside and on the city streets, the teenagers turned to see Cyrus burst out of the Palace after them. As they tried to flee down to streets, several giant pools of darkness appeared on all sides.

"More of those monsters again?" Flame shouted.

"No." Rune said.

In a moment, six gigantic versions of Crepsculi crawled out of the ground and surrounded the teenagers.

"Crep-gigasi."

Cyrus spread his great wings and took to the air. The giant Black Dragon began attacking with mutliple blasts of energy from up in the air. The teenagers were surrounded completely.

"What do we do now?" Arthur asked.

"We fight!" Tyrrany yelled.

The other dragons nodded in agreement. They readied themselves and attacked the giant monsters surrounding them…

…

"I haven't been to this city in years." Elza said. "It hasn't changed at all."

Elza and Tina flew high above the streets of Glenhaven. A loud commotion could be heard coming from the Palace in the center of the city. A swarm of monsters appeared to be surrounding the building.

"Cyrus must have wanted me to go there." Tina said to the smaller dragoness.

"It's very likely."

As the two dragonesses flew towards the Palace, Tina gasped. She saw a giant Black dragon flying around in the air, hovering over six giant monsters.

"It's Cyrus!" She exclaimed.

"He must be enacting Bergan's plan." Elza added.

"I've got to convince him to stop!"

"Are you sure you should try that? Cyrus may be trying to keep up appearances if Bergan is around."

"I don't care!"

Immediately, Tina took off as fast as she could, heading straight towards the Black dragon.

"Tina, dear, wait!" Elza shouted. The green dragoness continued at her normal pace, careful not to overexert herself.

…

At the exact same time, Elenar, Albanion and Aegis were flying into the city from the North. Elenar had no idea where Rune might be, but she would do whatever it took to find her son.

The first place she flew towards was the Glenhaven Palace. She was unfamiliar with how Glenhaven worked, but since the Palace was the grandest building in the city, it would make sense for school to he held there for the children of Glenhaven.

As the dark grey dragoness led her two Deep Shadows towards the Palace, they noticed something strange. The sounds of a great struggle seemed to be coming from the building. And dozens of monsters were surrounding the outer walls.

"What's going on?" Aegis asked.

"This must be the danger that Bergan was speaking of." Elenar said.

"We should investigate immediately." Albanion added.

As they drew closer, Elenar saw something that alarmed her. A giant Black monster was flying through the air over on the far side of the Palace. Several other, even larger monsters were on the city streets, surrounding someone.

"What could be happening over there?" Elenar asked.

"I know not" Albanion answered. "But it would seem that someone is in danger. We should aid them."

"Agreed." The other two dragons said.

The Queen and the Two Deep Shadows took off as fast as they could, heading towards the group of giant beasts.

…

Rune and Tyrrany leapt immediately into battle, while Flame passed Red and Green Gems to Nellie and Roxanne. Once the Water and Lightning dragons were back at full health, they joined the others in the fight.

Flame, Nellie and Roxanne all attacked one of the Crep-gigasi as one, striking the creature's limbs with Fire, Ice and Lightning blasts, respectively. They battled the beast well, but were struggling to deal significant damage to it.

As Cyrus was raining blasts of Concurrence at the dragons, and the Crep-Gigasi started roaring and slashing at them, Rune engaged one of the Crep-Gigasi one-on-one. Tyrrany did the same on the other side of the field.

Rune knew that physical attacks would be useless, so he took to the skies and flew up to the Crep-gigas's face. The Black dragon unleashed a blast of Blood Lightning into the beast's eyes, blinding it. He then unleashed a variety of Elemental strikes against the creature, wounding it severely.

Tyrrany used a different tactic. Since her cloak prevented her from flying, she Activated her Time element and then used her Space element to teleport onto the Crep-gigas's back. She then stabbed the creature's back, unleashing a blast of the Pain element into it's spine. As the Crep-gigas fell down to the ground in agony, Tyrrany proceeded to unleash a blast of Blood Lightning to cause even more damage. However, she didn't see the giant claw of another Crep-gigas come swinging around from behind her, knocking her into the air and onto the asphalt below.

Rune ran up to help her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, extending paw to her.

"I am fine." Tyrrany answered.

The dragoness looked around at the surrounding Crepsculi and the giant black dragon.

"Damnit!" She exclaimed. "We can't win this! Unless…"

Suddenly, Cyrus came flying out of the sky, ready to strike the two dragons with Concurrence yet again.

"LOOKOUT!" Rune exclaimed, shoving Tyrrany out of the way.

Just as Cyrus was about to unleash his attack, something unexpected happened. A giant, Dark yellow dragoness flew out of nowhere and shoved Cyrus onto his side. The giant dragoness came to a landing as Cyrus crashed into the ground.

"Sorry, Cyrus!" She said to the Black dragon.

Rune looked the new giant over. She looked almost like….

"Tina?" He shouted, confused.

"Rune, you're okay!" the dragoness exclaimed, smiling.

"Don't tell my you've been corrupted too!"

"No, I'm still me."

"But, then why-"

Rune was cut off when Cyrus got back onto his feet and roared. Tina tried approaching him.

"Why would you attack your brother, Cy?" She asked. The Black giant only snarled at her.

"Cyrus?"

Cyrus opened his mouth and fired a blast of Concurrence at the dark yellow dragoness, sending her flying backwards and crashing several yards away.

"Tina!" Rune shouted, running over to her.

As the giant dragoness got back onto her feet, she had a look of sadness and confusion.

"Cy, why did you attack me?" She asked. Cyrus didn't answer. He only roared in rage at her and charged forwards.

Suddenly, a giant green Cyclone flew down from the air and struck Cyrus against his side, sending him crashing again. A dark green dragoness wearing a dark grey robe came to a landing beside Tina.

"Elza!" Rune shouted.

"Are you alright, dear?" Elza asked Tina.

"I'm alright." the giant dragoness replied sadly.

Tyrrany ran up in front of the two newcomers.

"If you two are here to aid us, then do so." She said coldly.

"Who are you, young one?" Elza asked.

"That is not important."

Tyrrany then turned and charged at Cyrus, a blast of Lightning breath flying from her mouth. Rune sighed, following suit.

As the other dragons fought, Elza took to the skies, attempting to attack a Crep-gigas's eyes. However, the beast saw her coming, and grabber her with a claw. Elza struggled to break free of its grip, but it was no used.

Luckily, right before the monster could crush her, a Dark grey dragoness and a burly Dragon wearing a dark grey robe flew out of nowhere and clawed at the monster's eyes. The Crep-gigas roared in pain, instinctively letting go of Elza to swat the two dragons away.

As Elza fell, another dragon in a dark grey robe swooped in and caught her, helping her regain balance in midair. It was Albanion.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked, concerned.

"Albanion?" Elza asked. "Why are you here?"

"There's no time to explain."

After Elenar and the other dragon, which turned out to be Aegis, mortally wounded the Crep-gigas, they flew over to Elza.

"Are you the one who these beasts were attacking?" Aegis asked.

"No, I and Tina are here helping the ones they are _truly_ after: Rune and his companions."

"Rune?" Elenar exclaimed. "Where is he?"

"He's over there, confronting Cyrus."

"Cyrus?"

"It's a long story, Elenar."

…

For once in a long while, Tyrrany was enjoying herself.

The ten dragons, Rune, Nellie, Roxanne, Tyrrany, Flame, Tina, Aegis, Albanion, Elza and Elenar, engaged Cyrus and the Crep-gigasi in battle. It was no small fight. A great amount of magic exploded into and out of existence all across the area. The sounds or roaring, clawing and slashing filled the streets.

At first, it seemed like the dragons were winning. Three of the Crep-gigasi had been slain, and their bodies were dissolving into black energy, which faded into nothingness. Tyrrany and Rune were working together to bring a fourth Crep-gigas down. Rune had decided to try something he had been practicing for a long while: He combined six of his Elements to attack the Crep-gigas with a barrage of mighty White energy blasts: Convergence. Meanwhile, Tyrrany started relying solely on her Blood Lightning ability.

Once the beast started dissolving, Tyrrany grinned with satisfaction.

"Victory is almost ours." She said.

"Yeah…" Rune agreed.

Before she could celebrate their soon-to-be-had victory, Several giant black pools of Darkness appeared on the ground again. Several more Crep-gigasi started rising out of them. Soon, the dragons were surrounded once again.

"Damnit!" Tyrrany bellowed. She turned to glare at Cyrus. The black dragon was snarling at a Dark brown dragon in grey robes and a dark grey dragoness, the latter of which was trying to reason with him.

"Cyrus, listen to me!" The dragoness was pleading. "Stop fighting us!"

"He won't listen." the dark brown dragon said.

Tyrrany snarled.

"HE must be summoning them!" Tyrrany roared.

The disguised dragoness turned around and charged at the giant black dragon, rage and adrenaline flowing through her veins.

Tyrrany rushed right past the two strange dragons, who were surprised to see her.

"Stop, you fool!" The burly dragon warned. But Tyrrany didn't listen.

As the dragoness opened her mouth to blast the giant with Blood Lightning, Cyrus opened _his_ mouth and attacked with Concurrence. The giant black blast ripped right through the red lightning and collided with Tyrrany, lighting the dragoness on Black fire. She screamed in agony as the dark flames burned away her outfit.

On either side of the spectacle, Flame, Arthur and Nellie watched as the dragoness fell to the ground.

"ANNY!" The red dragon and green dragonfly exclaimed in horror.

Cyrus grabbed the wounded dragoness by the tail and tossed her far to the side. Luckily, she landed right before Nellie, who immediately used her Water breath to douse the flames. Flame ran up to Tyrrany as well, to see if she was okay.

Tyrrany struggled weakly onto her feet, groaning. Her makeup had been washed away, and the tattered rags that remained of her outfit fell off her body. Tyranny's white hide was completely exposed for all to see. And they did.

The most of the other dragons gasped in surprise and alarm.

"It's HER!" Tina exclaimed.

"The estranged daughter of Elenar!" One of the adult male dragons added.

"It cannot be…" the dark grey dragoness said.

Tyrrany was horrified.

_They can see my hide.._ She thought to herself.

Tyrrany tried to turn to run away, but she was too tired to move much. And besides, there was nowhere to run to. She was trapped.

Suddenly, a Crep-gigas swung it's claw and struck Tyrrany, Nellie and Flame with great force, sending each of the three young dragons flying. Flame and Nellie landed before the other dragons, perfectly fine. Tyrrany, however, landed on her side before another Crep-gigas, unable to get up. The monster brought it's claws down, intending to crush the life out of the weakened girl…

…

"NO!" Elenar screamed. Immediately, the dark grey dragoness took off at record speed, heading straight for the monster that was about to crush the White dragoness.

In almost no time at all, Elenar was standing over her daughter, her front legs blocking the Crep-gigas's claw from continuing on its path. The Queen roared with rage. Her face was twisted into a wrathful snarl

"YOU WILL NOT HARM HER, YOU BEAST!" She screamed. Elenar sent a great blast of Pain into the monster's claw and up its, body, causing the Crep-gigas to twitch and shake in agony.

Aegis and Albanion flew up to the Crep-gigas and proceeded to shove it backwards, away from Elenar and the young dragoness, the latter of which having slipped into unconsciousness. The Queen then grabbed her long-lost daughter and proceeded to pull her away from the fight.

"Oh, please be alright, Hope." She said sadly.

As that took place, Rune, Nellie, Tina and Flame were running forwards in an attempt to aid the others as well. However, Cyrus jumped in front of them and blocked their path. The giant Black dragon was snarling.

"Get out of my way!" Flame roared, charging forwards. As Flame tried to get past Cyrus, the latter merely struck him across the side with a paw, sending Flame flying to the left. Cyrus then glared at the other three and approached, preparing to attack.

"Cyrus, stop it!" Tina pleaded. She grudgingly struck Cyrus with several Mental blasts in an attempt to weaken him. However, the giant black dragon fought through it, and struck the dark yellow giant across her muzzle with his talons. He then blasted her, knocking her to the side.

As Cyrus snarled at Rune and Nellie, the smaller black dragon stood in front of the Water dragoness, guarding her. Cyrus fired a blast of Concurrence at his brother, who fired a blast of Convergence in defense. As the two beams hit, it was obvious that Cyrus's Concurrence was the stronger attack. The Concurrence forced Rune's Convergence back into his mouth, and sent him flying backwards several yards. The young black dragon landed on his back and writhed in pain.

Rune glanced back at Cyrus as the latter proceeded to Approach Nellie, who was too scared to run. The giant black dragon raised a paw in the air, ready to attack her.

_No…._ Rune said.

Cyrus swung his paw. Nellie screamed. Rune became enraged.

_NO!_

Nellie fell to the ground, a nasty wound cut across her chest. She was bleeding heavily.

_**Does this enrage you, Rune?**_ Runefor asked.

Rune didn't answer. He only growled, trying to regain the strength to stand back up. Several of the other dragons tried to come to Nellie's help, but the Crep-gigasi blocked their path. Meanwhile, Cyrus was charging energy into his mouth, preparing to finish Nellie off. Rune could hear a faint crying sound. Nellie's crying.

Rune started breathing heavily. He bared his teeth. His body started glowing with a purple aura.

_**Let me aid you, Rune. Let my power combine with yours. Let us become one to rescue your dear Nellie.**_

Rune shut his eyes. He started climbing back onto his feet, shaking heavily. The purple aura started to get thicker and thicker. And then, Rune roared with rage. As he did this, the purple aura completely surrounded his body.

Rune glared up at Cyrus. His eyes had turned a hideous yellow, and his irises were now demonic.

Rune and Runefor had become one.

…

**Man, this chapter was boring as hell. Luckily, I managed to make something awesome happen at the end to make up for it a little. If you found this chapter lacking in my usual quality, I apologize. I promise things will get better next in the next chapter.**


	11. Act 3, Chapter 3

Act 3, Chapter 3

Blank, Emerald, Ember, Vaun and Aaron ran through the hallways of the Palace. The five of them were trying to find all of the younger dragons that were sent to another part of the building to be kept safe from the attacking monsters.

Along the way, the teenagers saw that Crepsculi were swarming in the entire building. They had to fight them off several times.

"Where are they coming from?" Vaun shouted, slashing at an attacking Crepsculi

"Someone must be summoning them!" Emerald answered, striking another Crepsculi to the floor.

"Buy Who?" Blank asked.

"Any Why in the Palace?" Ember added

"How should **I** know?" Emerald exclaimed.

The teenagers continued on their way, killing any Crepsculi that attacked them. As they passed by a hallway, Blank spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey guys!" He shouted.

"What?" The others said in unison.

"Look."

Blank pointed down the hall, which eventually opened up to another corridor on either side. On the opposite end, a large red dragon and a green dragonfly were casually walking along, heading down the path on the left. Several Crepsculi were walking around them at about the same pace.

"That dragon…." Emerald said.

"He isn't being attacked." Aaron stated.

"He could be the one summoning the Crepsculi!" Ember shouted.

"Do you think we should follow him?" Blank asked.

"That my not be a good idea, Blank." Emerald said.

"That's a shame." Vaun said. "_I'm_ following him!"

"Me too." Aaron and Blank said in unison. The two then glanced at each other in annoyance. Emerald sighed.

"Fine, we'll follow him." She said. "But, we need to keep our distance."

And so, the five dragons turned and quietly followed the strange dragon and his companions.

This would prove to be a mistake.

…

The other dragons were shocked at Rune's sudden change.

"What's happened to him?" Aegis shouted.

"His eyes!" Elza said. "they look just like they did when he.."

Rune glared up at the giant that was his brother. When he spoke, venom fueled his words.

"**GET AWAY FROM HER, CYRUS**!" He screamed. The giant black dragon only glared back. Rune snarled as he walked forwards.

_**Let's teach him a lesson he won't soon forget! **_Runefor goaded.

Cyrus opened his mouth, firing a blast of Concurrence at Rune. However, the smaller black dragon instantly vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. He then reappeared in the middle of the air, floating behind Cyrus's giant head. The smaller black dragon grabbed hold of the giant dragon's grew mane and yanked backwards, flying in reverse with great speed and force. Cyrus found himself being pulled backwards and flipped around: His belly was now exposed to the air.

Rune let go of Cyrus's mane and flew hight into the air. He then turned and looked down at the giant black dragon, who had righted himself and was charging into the air after his brother, roaring with rage.

Once both black dragons were in the air, Cyrus chased after Rune, unleashing blast after blast of Concurrence at the smaller dragon. Rune dodged past every attack, flying through the air at nigh-impossible speed. He then flew up to Cyrus's head and struck him directly in the chest, using his body as a battering ram. As Cyrus was caught off guard by the blow, Rune opened his mouth and attacked with a never-ending barrage of Convergence blasts.

_**Good call, Rune. We don't have enough power to wield Convexity blasts yet.**_

Rune was lost in his rage: For over a minute, he struck multiple parts of Cyrus's body with blast after blast of Convergence. The giant black dragon was completely unable to fight back.

After an incredibly long string of attacks, Rune found himself running low on Magical energy. He also remembered there were still several Crep-gigasi on the ground below.

_**Hmmm, what to do, what to do?**_

Suddenly, an idea appeared in the black dragon's head.

Rune grabbed Cyrus by the tail, spun him around incredibly fast, and tossed him to the ground below. He then flew downwards after the giant, his sword appearing in his front right claw.

The giant black dragon crashed violently onto his back. He landed so hard, the asphalt underneath him cracked. Cyrus roared in pain, too weak to get back up. Rune came to a hard landing on the giant's belly, knocking the wind out of him. As he glared down at Cyrus, he realized that his heart was beating rapidly, and a great amount of adrenaline was flowing through his veins.

_**We are about to enter Fury state. Finish him off, and unleash the power within us!**_

Rune snarled, gripping his sword with both front paws and lifting it above his head. He was going to make a killing blow…

"Rune, stop!" Elenar screamed, running up to the two dragons. "Don't make yourself a murderer!" Rune glanced up at her, anger still on his face.

"**YOU STAY OUT OF THIS**!" He roared.

Elenar pointed over to Nellie. Aegis and Elza had pulled her out of the Crep-gigasi's reach, and were tending to her wounds while the others continued fighting back.

"Look, Nellie is alright. She'll pull through. There's no need to kill Cyrus!"

Rune looked at Cyrus, who was still struggling to move even a few inches. The smaller black dragon snarled.

"Rune, please. He hasn't been in control of his actions. This wasn't his fault."

_**Perhaps our mother is right, for once.**_

Rune sighed. He moved the sword away from directly over Cyrus's heart, and turned it sideways. He then slowly stabbed his sword about an inch or two into Cyrus's flesh. Elenar flinched.

"No!"

Elenar made an attempt to grab the sword out of Rune's hands, but the black dragon held a paw out in a "halt" motion, confusing her.

"**I'm not killing him**." He said.

"Then what _are_ you doing?" his mother asked, frantic.

"**Something that Father did once**."

Elenar was confused, but it didn't matter.

Rune gripped the sword hilt tightly between his front paws. The purple aura that surrounded the black dragon spread over the sword, and then over Cyrus's body. Soon, the aura around Cyrus started getting larger. The energy then flowed out of Cyrus, through the sword, and into Rune. Cyrus's body then began shrinking, while Rune's hide started flashing a purple color. Once Cyrus was back to his original size, Purple lightning cackled across several parts of Rune's body.

_**The Convexity you've absorbed from Cyrus is merging with our pent-up Fury energy**_, Runefor warned. _**Activate Fury now, before the energy tears us apart!**_

Rune immediately sent his sword away and flew up into the air, surprising Elenar and the others. Once he believed he had flown high enough, Rune activated his Fury.

A massive blast of Convexity energy exploded out of Rune almost instantaneously. The energy exploded outwards with lightning speed, engulfing the dragons on the ground and all of the Crepsculi. The giant monsters were slowly dissolved into nothingness…

And then, the Purple energy started receding. It stopped spreading outwards, and started going back inwards.

_**Yes..**_

As the energy started returning to Rune, Tina suddenly found herself shrinking in size. The Convexity energy that lied dormant within her had been sucked out of her.

"What?" She asked, confused. The other dragons were alarmed as well.

Once all of the Convexity energy had returned to Rune and entered inside him, the black dragon shut his eyes and freefell to the ground. Luckily, before he crashed into the ground, Elza flew over to him and used her Wind element to break his fall. Elza then grabbed hold of Rune, and brought him before Elenar.

"Is he alright?" the Queen asked.

"He's fallen asleep." Elza said.

"That's good." Elenar responded.

Elenar and Elza carried the two young black dragons and placed them beside Nellie, Roxanne, and the young White dragoness, who had been cared for by Albanion, a young Fire dragon wearing a brown cloak, and a small green dragonfly.

The Queen looked between her three children: Rune, Cyrus and Hope. All three of them were unconscious and had several wounds, but they would all do fine. She sighed.

"Why must my children always suffer?" She asked sadly. Elenar then looked around at her Deep Shadows.

"We cannot stay here. We need to take my children somewhere for them to recover."

"Then what, your majesty?" Aegis asked. The Queen looked up at the Palace.

"Afterwards, we find out what is happening inside this Palace."

…

Blank and the other dragons quietly followed the red dragon and green dragonfly as they wandered the many hallways of the Palace. Oddly enough, wherever the two strangers went, there weren't any Crepsculi around except for the ones that surrounded them. This was good for the young dragons, because they were able to follow without fighting, but it only confirmed their suspicions that the red dragon was the one summoning the Crepsculi in the first place.

"But how is it possible in the first place?" Emerald asked.

"What makes you wonder that?" Blank asked.

"We know that only a Dark dragon can summon Crepsculi, and a powerful one at that. So, how can a Fire dragon summon them? He's a Light dragon."

"That's a matter for later."

The five dragons followed the two strangers to a place they didn't expect them to be heading for: The Elders' Chamber.

"Why would they go _there_?" Aaron asked.

"We're trying to find out, idiot." Blank snapped. The Earth dragon glared at him.

"Oh, piss off, Blanky."

Blank and Aaron growled at each other, but Emerald glared at the two before they could break into a fight.

"Guys, stop it already." She scolded. "This isn't the time."

The red dragon approached the doors to the Chamber, forced them open, and walked inside, the dragonfly and Crepsculi following suit. As the five young dragons approached the doors, they could hear the sounds of a struggle begin.

"Oh no!" Ember shouted.

"The Elders!" Vaun, Blank and Aaron shouted in unison. The five young dragons immediately ran into the room.

Attonita and Krystallos were locked in combat against a swarm of Crepsculi. The red dragon was standing just inside the doorway, wearing a strange Metal Gauntlet on his front paw. The dragonfly was floating nearby.

"How dare you invade this place!" Krystallos bellowed, swatting several Crepsculi with one of his mighty front paws.

"And after we showed you such hospitality to allow you to conduct business in our city!" Attonita added, destroying several of the monsters with a great storm of Lightning.

"Tell us where Prince Rune is." the dragonfly demanded.

"He was supposed to be in the Arena today, but he has yet to be spotted." the red dragon added.

"We don't know where he is!" Krystallos exclaimed. "We've told you this already!"

"Is that a fact?" the red dragon asked. "In that case, you will die, alongside the rest of the adults in this Palace."

"You Jackass!" Blank exclaimed. The young Fire dragon ran forwards to tackle the older dragon. Vaun and Aaron followed suit.

"Blankridge?" Attonita asked, confused.

"What?" the dragon and dragonfly shouted in unison, alarmed. Before the dragon could turn around, the three young dragons jumped onto his back and knocked him to the floor.

"Anthony!" the dragonfly exclaimed.

Emerald and Ember ran inside to help the two Elders fight the Crepsculi.

"What are you children doing here?" Krystallos demanded.

"We were following them!" Emerald shouted.

Blank, Vaun and Aaron tried to force Anthony to stay on the ground, but the red dragon summoned more Crepsculi, which attacked the three of them. As they were distracted, Anthony got back onto his feet. He sneered.

"So, you think you can get the drop on me?" He exclaimed at the younger dragons. "You will pay with your lives!"

Anthony prepared to attack the three dragons with a mighty blast of Fire breath. However, as he tried to strike, the Fire Magic exploded a few inches from his mouth, sending him falling onto his back.

"WHAT?" The red dragon exclaimed, confused. As he got back onto his feet, all of the Crepsculi suddenly dissolved into nothingness. The dragonfly and the other dragons stood in utter confusion. And then, a voice spoke from out of nowhere.

"Actually, Anthony, these children are much more valuable to me alive."

Anthony and the dragonfly gasped.

"President Bergan?" the former asked.

Suddenly, a large portal of Purple energy appeared in the middle of the room, surprising the others. A large Purple dragon with three horns, a golden mane, and blood red eyes walked out of the portal, which vanished behind him. He was wearing a Black Cloak over his back, and black stockings on his front legs.

"How did you get here from Warfang, sir?" the dragonfly asked.

"Oh, let's just say that I've stumbled upon an interesting new power source, Richard." The dragon said, grinning. He looked over at the red dragon and sneered.

"How have you done with capturing the children in the Palace, Anthony?"

"_Capture_ them?" Anthony asked, astounded. "You meant for us to _capture_ them?"

Bergan's sneer turned into a glare.

"What did you think I meant in my scroll when I said to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the Palace?"

"Er, I didn't think that…" Bergan sighed in contempt.

"How many are dead, then?"

"Uh, I'm not sure, sir."

"Is that so…." Bergan snapped his talons. A wall of black fire appeared over the doorway to the chamber, sealing everyone inside. Anthony had a look of fear about him.

Bergan suddenly appeared behind the Fire dragon, knocking him to the floor. He then grabbed hold of the man's wings with both front paws, and with incredible strength, ripped his wings off. Anthony screamed in pain as blood pooled on his back.

"Consider yourself fired." Bergan said coldly.

The Purple dragon snapped his talons again, and Anthony was suddenly surrounded by a pool of Purple energy. The red dragon sank into the pool, and it dissolved into nothingness. There was no sign that Anthony was ever in the room, except for the bloody wings in Bergan's front paws.

Bergan let go of the wings, and turned to look at Richard.

"I know for a fact that Rune and Nellie are nowhere in the Palace." the Purple dragon said. Dread filled the dragonfly's being.

"My apologies for this failure, sir." Arthur said. Bergan only sighed.

"Oh, don't worry about those two. As long as the remaining children are trapped in the Palace, it's business as usual."

"If you say so, sir." Behind them, the two Elders growled, standing next to each other on the other side of the Green pool.

"Who are you people?" Krystallos demanded.

"Hmm?" Bergan turned around to face the Water Elder. The purple dragon grinned.

"Pleased to make you acquaintance, dear Elder." He began, bowing. "I am Bergan, a humble businessman."

"We've had enough of those lies for one day!" Attonita bellowed. Bergan frowned.

"Ah, yes. Please excuse the behavior of my Ex-employee. He is not one for tact or subtlety."

Blank glared up at the Purple dragon.

"What do you want from the children of Glenhaven Palace?" He exclaimed.

"If I revealed my plans, then everyone would try to thwart me." Bergan responded, smirking. Blank prepared to attack the older dragon.

"Blank, no!" Emerald shouted.

"Please listen to your friend, there." Bergan said. "It would be distasteful to me to fight a child."

"THEN ALLOW ME!" Krystallos bellowed. The Water Elder opened his mouth and fired a massive Water blast at Bergan. At the same time, Attonita fired a giant Lightning Blast at Bergan.

As the two beams flew towards Bergan, the Purple dragon opened his mouth and fired a blast of Purple energy, which collided with the two other beams. The three attacks fought back and forth for a time, but in the end, the Purple blast was more powerful. The Elders' beams were forced back into their mouths, and both of them were struck by the powerful Purple energy, which made their entire bodies writhe in agony.

"ELDERS!" The younger dragons exclaimed.

After a moment, the two Aged dragons fell to the floor. They moved no longer.

"NO!" Emerald exclaimed. She turned and snarled at Bergan. "My Grandfather will make you pay for this!"

The Purple dragon frowned.

"Do yourselves a favor, and don't try to fight me." He said. "I am growing tired of fighting people who jump Gung ho into a battle. And besides, you and the other children are more valuable to me alive." Bergan turned to face Richard.

"I shall handle things from here on, Richard."

"What do you mean to do, sir?" the dragonfly asked. Bergan chuckled. He turned and faced the green pool, holding out a paw out.

"Allow me to show you, with the powers granted to me by The Nothing."

"The what?"

"Never you mind."

The young dragons got on their guards. Bergan's eyes glowed purple, as did his paw….

…

Tyrrany wasn't really asleep. She was only pretending, so that she could listen on the dragons around her.

The dragons knew that Tyrrany was the daughter of Queen Elenar. One of them even shouted the fact out loud. Surely they knew that Tyrrany was the dragoness who tried to kill prince Cyrus. And yet, even though she was in a weakened state, they didn't try to finish her off. Why was this? It was so confusing.

The dark grey dragoness confused Tyrrany most of all. For some strange reason, the dragoness called her "Hope". She must have mistaken the young girl for someone else. But just who _was_ she? Tyrrany wished she could get a good look at the woman, but after being attacked by the Giant black dragon, her vision had become incredibly blurred.

Tyrrany listened as the other dragons spoke around her.

"Is he alright?" The strange dragoness asked.

"He's fallen asleep." One of her companions answered.

"That's good."

_They must be speaking about Rune_, Tyrrany thought to herself. She shivered slightly. _I never imagined a black dragon could be so powerful._

After a moment, Tyrrany heard the bodies of her two half-brothers being placed beside her. The strange dragoness sighed.

"Why must my children always suffer?" She asked sadly.

_Her children?_

"We cannot stay here. We need to take my children somewhere for them to recover."

"Then what, your majesty?" Someone asked her.

_Your majesty?_

"Afterwards, we find out what is happening inside this Palace." The strange dragoness answered."

"Perhaps we can get into contact with Hontus and Seraph." A male dragon said.

"Do you think they'd help us?"

"_Their _children could be in danger as well." He answered. "We need to tell them about this crisis. Their aid will be of great value to us, Elenar."

Tyrrany gasped.

_Elenar?_

Immediately, the young dragoness go onto her feet, surprising everyone around her. Rage and adrenaline filled her veins. She glared at the dark grey dragoness, her vision crystal-clear once again.

The dark grey dragoness had the same raven black hair. The same grey horns. The same blood red eyes. And the same glowing red birthmarks on her sides.

Tyrrany had finally found her mother.

"ELENAR!" The young White dragoness roared in rage. The dark grey dragoness looked down at her daughter, confused.

"Hope?"

Tyrrany wasted no time. She immediately fired an Earth blast at her mother, sending the larger dragoness flying backwards several yards. The White dragoness then charged forwards, ready to follow-up her attack.

The other dragons stood in shock and alarm as Tyrrany unleashed a mighty barrage of Elemental attacks of all sorts at Elenar. The Queen didn't fight back: she only dodged out of the way, refusing to fight back.

"What are you doing?" Elenar exclaimed, a look of misunderstanding on her face.

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?" Tyrrany bellowed at the top of her voice.

"Yes! You're-!"

"I'M THE ONE YOU _ABANDONED_ SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO!"

"Abandoned?"

"AFTER YOU LAID MY EGG, YOU THREW ME AWAY OUT OF DISGUST, LIKE TRASH! IF FATHER HADN'T FOUND ME, I WOULD'VE BEEN KILLED BEFORE I EVEN HATCHED!"

Tyrrany jumped through the air, attempting to slash at Elenar's throat. The older dragoness dodged as fast as she could, but still ended up with a nasty slash across the side of her neck.

At the sight of this, Elza, Albanion and Aegis ran forwards to aid their Queen.

"Stop this!" The green dragoness exclaimed. She fired a green Cyclone at Tyrrany's side in an attempt to knock her to the ground. Meanwhile, Albanion summoned several vines out of the ground to wrap around the White dragoness, while Aegis simultaneously bombarded the girl's mind with Mental strikes.

"No!" Flame shouted. The young Fire dragon ran forwards and attacked the two male Deep Shadows with his Fire breath, distracting them.

Meanwhile, Tyrrany used her own Wind element to run faster, evading Elza's Cyclone. The White dragoness then turned and fired a blast of Ice at the Wind dragoness, freezing her limbs in place. She then turned and faced her mother again.

"FIGHT ME ALONE, YOU COWARD!" Tyrrany screamed at Elenar. "FACE YOUR SINS HEAD ON!"

"Hope, stop this!" Elenar pleaded. "There's been a misunderstanding!"

"WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME THAT?" The White dragoness demanded, attempting to slash at the Queen again. "MY NAME IS TYRRANY!"

"'Tyrrany'?" Elenar was taken aback.

"YES! BUT I GUESS YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT, SINCE YOU THOUGHT I WAS DEAD!"

As Tyrrany continued trying to attack her mother, Elenar started to shed tears.

"What has Bergan done to you?"

"FATHER RAISED ME, LIKE A PARENT IS **SUPPOSED** TO DO! AND HE TOLD ME HOW YOU LEFT HIM FOR A DARK DRAGON, AND HOW YOU TOSSED ME AWAY ONCE YOU SAW MY EGG'S HIDEOUS WHITE SHELL!"

"He lied."

"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO'S LYING!" Tyrrany fired a blast of Blood Lightning at Elenar, which the latter dodged past by inches.

"FIGHT ME! NOW!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Hope."

"MY NAME IS **TYRRANY**! AND YOU'VE ALREADY HURT ME FAR MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER KNOW!"

"I suppose that is true."

"SO YOU ADMIT IT!"

Elenar didn't respond. Tyrrany roared.

"IF YOU WON'T FIGHT ME, THEN **DIE**!"

Tyrrany's body started glowing with a purple aura. She was preparing her Convexity. Elenar saw that Tyrrany wouldn't listen to reason. So, taking a deep breath, Elenar charged her Pain element. She looked at her daughter, tears in her eyes.

"Please, my little one." She pleaded. "Don't make me force you to stop."

"FUCK YOOOUUU!" Tyrrany screamed. The White dragoness fired a massive blast of Convexity at Elenar. Elenar jumped into the side, dodging the blast by inches, and came to a stop at her daughter's side. Elenar reached out with a paw and stabbed Tyrrany's side with her talons. She looked away, crying.

Before Tyrrany could react, Pain exploded all throughout her body. She fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The White dragoness screamed in horrible pain.

Once Tyrrany had hit the ground, Elenar pulled her talons out of her flesh, ending the Pain blast. However, The white dragoness still suffered.

"Damn…..you…" She choked out. Elenar looked down at her daughter, tears on her face.

"I'm so sorry." She said. "Please, just listen to me. You've been lied to."

"ANNY!" Flame and Arthur shouted. The dragon and dragonfly ran up to the weakened dragoness. Flame helped Tyrrany get onto her feet.

"Are you okay, girl?" Arthur asked.

"I'm too weak." She said.

"What?" Flame asked.

"I'm _still_ too weak!" She exclaimed. "All these years of training, and I can't defeat her!" Tyrrany looked up at Elenar, anger on her face.

"I hate you!" She bellowed. She struggled to attack Elenar, with little success.

"You left me all alone! You just tossed me away! You replaced me with not one, but **two **other children! You pretended that I never even existed! You…YOU…"

Tyrrany collapsed onto the ground before Elenar. She cried a river of tears.

"WHY? Why did you throw me away? Why didn't you give me a chance? Why… Why didn't you love me?"

Flame and Arthur watched their friend lie on the ground. They never saw Tyrrany like this before. She was always a strong-willed girl. But now, for the first time, her spirit was broken. Flame shed a few tears himself.

Elenar looked down at her daughter as she cried, heartbroken to see her child like this. The Queen reached out to place a paw on one of Tyrrany's shoulders.

"There is so much you don't know, Hope. I-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Tyrrany screamed, making Elenar jump back. The White dragoness got back onto her feet. The Deep Shadows approached them, just in case Tyrrany was about to attack again.

"**I'm** not the one who doesn't know things; **You** are!" Tyrrany screamed. "You don't know what my life has been like! For so long, I've had to conceal my hide color, out of fear that other dragons would kill me if they saw my true Color! For years I've been tormented by others and called a freak! The only one who ever truly loved me was my father!"

"That's not true.." Elenar said.

"Don't even TRY to say that you love me! If that were true, why would you abandon me?"

"But I _didn't_ abandon you, Hope."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Elenar sighed.

"That is the name I gave you when I laid your egg."

"Hope?" Tyrrany asked, slightly enraged again. "You named me 'Hope'?"

"Yes." Tyrrany grew even angrier.

"That is the most insulting name imaginable! I've had no hope in my life, except for the hope of getting my revenge on YOU, and even _that_ has proven false!"

"Please, calm down." Elenar said. Tyrrany took several steps back from her mother.

"No, I won't! And my name is not Hope!" The white dragoness turned around to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Elenar asked, frantic.

"None of your business!" Tyrrany snarled. "But mark my words, _Mother_: Our conflict is far from over!"

And with that, the White dragoness took to flight, Flame and Arthur following suit.

"Hope, wait!" Elenar exclaimed. She was about to fly after her daughter, but was stopped by Albanion.

"What are you doing?" Elenar demanded.

"Don't worry about her, your highness." He said. "She will come to you at a later time. For now, we need to tend to your other children."

"But what if she-?" Elenar began. She was interrupted, however, by a gigantic rumbling.

"What in the world?"

A massive amount of Purple energy surrounded the entire Glenhaven Palace, completely engulfing it. And then, the entire building started rising into the sky, breaking free of the world below it.

"IMPOSSIBLE?" Elza exclaimed.

After the Palace floated high enough into the sky, the sound of a man's voice filled the air.

"Did you enjoy that visit from our daughter, Elenar?"

"BERGAN." Elenar snarled.

"Where are you, you deflowerer?" Albanion demanded.

"And what do you want with the Glenhaven Palace?" Elza snarled. Bergan chuckled.

"It's funny how everyone wants me to tell them my plans."

"TELL US." The Queen demanded.

"No, I'll let you figure it out for yourselves. I'm just checking to see if you were satisfied with seeing your daughter again. I arranged for it, you see."

"You've lied to her."

"Yes, I lied to her when I said she'd be ready to defeat you." Elenar snarled.

"When I find out the full extent of the lies you've told my daughter, you're going to suffer."

"Oh? The Pacifistic Queen is making threats of violence? That's most unbecoming."

Elenar didn't respond. She only growled. Bergan chuckled again.

"I'd love to chat with you some more, but I have work to do. An army for The Nothing isn't going to create itself. Goodbye."

When Bergan finished speaking, the floating Palace suddenly disappeared in a cloud of Purple smoke. All of the dragons gasped in shock.

"How did he accomplish that?" Aegis exclaimed.

"Convexity." Elenar answered. "Somehow, Bergan has gained the power of Convexity." Elenar looked between the Deep Shadows.

"Listen, my friends. We need to contact Urobos immediately. If he's gotten the aid of Spyro and Cynder, we're going to need it."

"Agreed." the others said. Elenar looked behind herself at Rune and Cyrus. She then looked in the direction that her daughter had taken.

_Oh, my poor children._


	12. Act 3, Chapter 4

Act 3, Chapter 4

_**Time to wake up, Rune.**_

Rune slowly slipped out of slumber, opened his eyes, and looked around himself. He was surprised to find himself lying on the straw bed of his chamber in Hontus and Seraph's home. It was late at night. His satchel was lying nearby on the floor.

Rune got off his bed and onto his feet. He was confused.

"How did I end up here?" He asked out loud.

_**It would seem that after we fell unconscious, the others brought us back here.**_

"Why?"

_**Why not? We're going to be living here for the next six months, are we not?**_

"I guess that makes sense…"

Suddenly, a thought came Rune. He gasped.

"Nellie!" He exclaimed. "Where's Nellie?"

_**Shall we go find out?**_

"Since when do **you** care about her?"

_**I don't. I would just prefer it if you go FIND her instead of standing around worrying about her.**_

"Fine."

Rune left his room and walked down the hallway. His first guess was to look in Nellie's room. He was going to step inside, when he heard someone speak to him from behind.

"Rune?"

Rune turned around to see his brother Cyrus walking up to him from the other end of the hall. He had a scar on his belly, from when Rune stabbed him slightly with his sword.

"Cyrus." Rune said, smiling a little. "Are you alright."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cyrus said glumly.

Rune became concerned. Normally, Cyrus was a more energetic and cocky. But now, he sounded melancholy.

"Is something the matter, Cy?" Rune asked. Cyrus sighed.

"Rune, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For almost…..killing Nellie."

Rune put a paw on his brother's shoulder.

"It's alright, Cyrus." Rune said reassuringly. "You were being manipulated at the time. The same thing happened to me four years ago, remember?"

"You forgive me?"

"If anyone should be apologizing, it's me."

"Why?"

"I almost did something to you that I would regret for the rest of my life."

The two princes were silent for a time. Even if Rune didn't say it, Cyrus knew what he meant.

"I'll forgive you if you forgive me." Cyrus said. Rune smiled.

"It's a deal."

"Thanks, Rune."

The shorter black dragon looked around.

"So, where are we?" Cyrus asked.

"This is Hontus and Seraph's home."

"Where is everyone? When I woke up, I heard someone walking around outside the doorway, which turned out to be you."

Rune thought for a minute.

"Well, maybe they're at the front of the building. It's a living room."

The two black dragons walked to the living room, Rune in the lead. Sure enough, voices could be heard when they got close enough. Hontus, Seraph and Nellie were on one side of the room, while Elenar, Elza and Tina were on another. Elenar and Hontus were locked in conversation.

"..That's absolutely disgusting!" Hontus exclaimed. "It was deplorable when I learned that Malefor did it to you, but for a normal, supposedly-respectable man to do the same thing?"

"And for it to be one of your closest friends, no less." Seraph added. Elenar sighed.

"I know."

"How could you continue to _trust_ that man?" Hontus asked.

"At the time, I believed that Bergan was correct, which he was. And I had hoped that he was still a good man."

"Well he certainly was _not_." Seraph said. "I don't mean to offend you, Elenar, but he made you look like a fool."

"I know that now. Bergan is not the man he used to be."

"In any case," Hontus said. "You two had a daughter, which you left with him so he could hide her from the masses because of her White Hide?"

"Correct."

"And her hide is white because of a Curse placed on your family by your Grandfather."

"Yes."

They were going to continue, but Elza spoke up.

"It would seem that the princes are awake now." The green dragoness said. Everyone else turned to look at Rune and Cyrus, who walked forwards nervously.

"Are you boys feeling alright?" Seraph asked.

"I'm fine." Rune said.

"Me too." Cyrus added. Elenar smiled.

"Thank the ancestors." She said. The Queen walked over and hugged her sons. Rune happily accepted the hug, but Cyrus complained.

"Moooom, let go!" He complained.

"I'm just glad that you two are back to normal."

"Fine, but don't hug me in front of Tina!" He protested.

The other dragons laughed. Now _that_ was the Cyrus they all knew.

When Elenar finally let go of her sons, Rune looked up at her.

"What's happened since we passed out?" He asked.

"A lot has happened." His mother answered. "Go sit down. This may take a while…"

Once Rune and Cyrus had found places to sit down and listen, the other dragons started explaining. Elza started.

"After you two passed out, the purple dragon known as Bergan somehow took control of the Glenhaven Palace, broke it free of the earth, and made it teleport to who knows where. Naturally, many of the dragons that had children attending school there were in a panic. The first thing we did was contact Hontus and Seraph here and tell them what happened." Elenar continued for her.

"After their initial shock, they quickly agreed to help us. You two, Nellie and Tina were placed in the back chambers to recover, while that Roxanne girl was returned to her parents. Afterwards, Albanion and Aegis left to tell the remaining Authorities of Glenhaven what had happened."

"Where are they now?" Cyrus asked. Elza spoke again.

"They're helping the Authorities search the remains of the Palace, to see if any dragons or Nondragons remain in the lower passages that were built into the Earth mound that the Palace sat upon."

"For a while now, we waiting for you two to wake up, and for Albanion and Aegis to return." Elenar said. "Once they return, we will contact Urobos and Wraith to see how their Endeavour is going, and tell them what has happened since they left Warfang."

"What are they trying to accomplish again?" Rune asked.

"Urobos and Wraith left for the Pit of the Fallen to see if they could recruit the aid of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder." Elenar said. "I pray that they succeeded."

"I see…" Rune said. He glanced over at Nellie, who hadn't spoken much. Rune then looked between Elenar and Seraph.

"Say, is it okay if I have some time to spend with Nellie?" He asked. The two dragonesses exchanged glances, and then looked at Nellie.

"Would you like to be alone with Rune for a while, sweetie?" Seraph asked. Nellie smiled.

"I'd love to!" She exclaimed, but then regained her composure. "I mean, sure."

Hontus and Seraph both smiled.

"Go right ahead, then." Hontus said.

As Nellie walked towards Rune, the two turned around to walk back to Rune's chamber. As this happened, Cyrus glanced over at Tina, who was looking back at him, concerned.

"Umm.." Cyrus said nervously. He wanted to spend some time with Tina, but was too afraid to ask. And since the memories of the things he did to her were fresh in his mind, he didn't think she'd want to be with him. But then, to his surprise, Tina spoke up.

"Can I spend some time with Prince Cyrus, your highness?" Tina asked. Elenar nodded.

"Of course, Tina." She answered.

"You two can go into Blank's chamber." Seraph added.

"Thank you!" Tina exclaimed.

As Tina walked past Cyrus, the black dragon only watched her. Tina frowned.

"Come on, Runt." She said.

"Okay.." the black dragon responded.

As the four young dragons exited the room, Seraph and Elenar sighed.

"I remember when those boys were barely able to fly." The Queen said happily. "They also used to run around so much that they'd trip all over themselves."

"I have the same memories, but of Blank and Nellie." Seraph added. "But just look at them all now: They're growing up."

"That's right." Hontus said. "Say, you don't think that the four of them are going to…"

Elenar shook her head.

"No, we can trust them not to do anything so serious. Rune is a well-mannered boy. And even though Cyrus can be a tad ego-centric at times, he knows his boundaries."

Elza placed a paw on her belly, smiling.

"Albanion and I are going to have our paws full once these little ones come."

"When are they due to be laid?" Seraph asked.

"Any day now." Elza answered.

Elenar sighed in relief. There used to be a time when Elza and Seraph would have torn each other limb from limb out of spite. Luckily, over time, the Water and Wind dragonesses managed to push their pasty hostility aside and develop a mutual respect for each other. They both cared for Rune, so their was no reason for them to be enemies.

After these happy thoughts ended, Elenar's mind drifted to one of her biggest concerns: Her daughter Hope. The Queen hadn't stopped thinking about her, or the horrible things she said or did. The dark grey dragoness shed a few tears.

"Is something the matter, Elenar?" Hontus asked.

"It's my daughter." Elenar answered. "I can't help but worry about her. She could be anywhere right now."

"I'm sure she's alright." Seraph said.

"It's not her health that's the biggest issue. It's the things she said. She strongly believes that I abandoned her egg when it was laid."

"Bergan filled her head with lies." Elza snarled. "He's a filthy, backstabbing monster." Elenar sighed.

"I just wish I knew where she was."

…

Unbeknownst to all of the dragons inside Hontus and Seraph's home, Tyrrany was silently watching them by the Living room's window.

After Tyrrany flew away from the conflict with Elenar, the White dragoness sent Flame and Arthur back to the abandoned Warehouse they were staying in. She then turned around and flew in a bee line back the area to spy on her mother.

For several hours, Tyrrany followed Elenar as she went about her way. When the Queen went to the home of the Fire Guardian and his mate, the White dragoness hid outside the home, listening on their conversations.

She had taken up great interest in Rune and Cyrus when her two brothers traveled to the back of the Home with their respective companions. As luck would have it, Cyrus and the dark yellow dragoness entered a room that was adjacent to the one that Rune and Nellie entered, enabling her to switch back and forth between spying on the four of them all the easier.

_Let's start with Rune first_, Tyrrany thought.

As Tyrrany floated Rune's window, she did her pest to peek inside without being seen..

Rune walked into his chamber, followed by Nellie. Once Rune walked a up to his bed, he turned around to face his companion. The blue dragoness immediately kissed Rune on the lips. When it ended, both young dragons smiled.

"I've been waiting to do that for six months." Nellie said.

"Yeah, me too.." Rune added. The Black dragon looked at his companion, concern on his face. "Nellie, can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Why did you get in a fight with Roxanne?"

Nellie froze, as though she had been caught red-pawed doing something she shouldn't.

"I, uh…well.." She stammered, not looking Rune in the eyes.

"What?" Rune asked. "What's wrong, Nellie?"

Nellie gulped down a big breath of air. "Roxanne has a crush on you, Rune."

"Huh?"

"Roxanne has had a thing for you for a very long time, but she never had the guts to come up to you and say it."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Four years ago, when she discovered that you and I had started dating each other, she got really aggravated. She believed that I 'stole' you from her. So, whenever you're not in Glenhaven, she's been going out of her way to taunt and humiliate me as a form of payback."

"Are you serious?" Rune asked, taken aback.

"Yes. She wants to break us up so she can have you to herself."

"Well, she'll never succeed." Rune said, smiling. "You're the only girl for me, Nellie."

The dragoness's eyes beamed. "Really, Rune?" the Black dragon chuckled.

"Of course! In fact, I got you something when I was in Warfang."

"What did you get me?" Nellie asked, interested.

"Wait just a moment. I'll get it."

Rune walked over to his satchel and searched through it for a moment. After a short while, he pulled out a small jade necklace and presented it to Nellie.

"Ta-da!" He exclaimed. The dragoness gasped in delight.

"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed happily.

"I'm glad you like it." Rune responded. He proceeded to place the necklace around Nellie's neck. The blue dragoness kissed him again.

"Thank you, Rune!"

"You're welcome!"

_Typical…._

Tyrrany floated away from the two lovebirds and started spying on Cyrus and the dark yellow dragoness…

Cyrus just sat nervously on the bed, afraid to talk to Tina. Tina, however, wanted Cyrus to start talking to her. After getting tired of waiting, the yellow dragoness spoke first.

"Cyrus, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure…" The black dragon said, half-afraid.

"When we were giant-sized, and I was locked in those chains on The Nexus, did you mean those things you said to me?"

Cyrus sighed heavily, as if afraid to answer.

"Cy?"

"Yes." The black dragon said. "I did mean what I said. But, I was addicted to the power I had at the time, and it boosted my ego to the point where I wasn't afraid to tell you."

"Did you _really_ want me to stay away from Glenhaven?"

"No, that was a trick. The part of me that was still in control wanted to get you to find a way to free the spell on me."

"Then how come you acted like a wild animal when I confronted you outside the Palace? Were you mad at me for tricking you?"

"No!" Cyrus shouted. "After you ran off, Bergan increased the Convexity within me, and I lost control completely."

"So you weren't in control of yourself."

"Yeah!" Cyrus got off the bed and looked into Tina's eyes. "Still, I feel really bad for how I hurt you, Tina. Can you ever forgive me?"

Tina smirked. She reached up, grabbed Cyrus's face, and pulled him forwards to kiss him on the lips, taking the black dragon completely by surprise. When she let go, she grinned at him.

"Does _that_ answer your question?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. Cyrus blushed, but then smiled.

"Yeah, it does."

Cyrus and Tina proceeded to happily embrace each other. Cyrus's feelings were finally known, and Tina loved him back. All was right with his world…

Tyrrany backed away from the window, glaring.

_Typical! _She screamed in her mind. _Completely fucking Typical! This is yet another example of those two bastards getting everything they've ever wanted, and then some, while I'm left with nothing! THEY are respected for being a "superior" breed, while I'M regarded as a freak! THEY can enjoy themselves whenever they please, while I have to train for hours on end everyday! THEY each get a mate who loves them dearly, while I…_

Tyrrany stopped. She thought for a moment.

_Flame…I have Flame._

Tyrrany remembered what happened the other night. She remembered how Flame had admitted his affection for her, and how she threatened him to stay away from her. The Fire dragon claimed that he wouldn't give up on winning her over.

And then, the White dragoness got an idea.

_I know something that I can get before Rune and Cyrus get it._ Tyrrany turned and looked between the two windows. _You won't get something that I deserve THIS time, you two!_

Tyrrany turned around again and flew off across the city to the abandoned house.

_I need to have a chat with Flame._

…

A while later, Tyrrany came to a landing in front of the house. She pushed the door open and walked inside. Flame and Arthur were sitting on the other side of the room, across from the stairs.

"Hey, Anny!" Arthur greeted.

"You feeling alright now?" Flame asked.

"I am content." Tyrrany answered.

_I need to get him to come upstairs._

The white dragoness walked across the room and up the stairs. Once she was at the top, she turned around and looked down at the red dragon.

"Hey, Flame?" She asked.

"Yeah, Tyrrany?"

"Come up here. I need to talk to you." Flame gulped nervously.

"Uh, about what?"

"You will find out once you're up here." Tyrrany answered. "Arthur, you are to stay downstairs."

"Okay." The dragonfly responded.

Tyrrany turned around and walked to the window as Flame walked up the staircase. Once he was in the room, the white dragoness turned to look at him.

"How are you feeling, Flame?" She asked.

"I'm, uh…I'm doing alright." He answered. "I'm more concerned with you, though."

Tyrrany turned to walk over to him.

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Well, you were crying pretty hard after your fight with your mother. I was worried you might get sick." Tyrrany did something she almost never did: She smiled.

"There's no need to worry; I'm quite alright now." She turned and walked back to the window. When she walked up to it, she turned to speak to her friend.

"Flame, come stand next to me."

"Uh, alright." He replied. Flame reluctantly walked up next to Tyrrany, afraid that this might be a trap.

As the two dragons stood at the window, Tyrrany spoke again.

"Flame, I've been thinking about the things I said to you back in the cave."

"You have?"

"I want to apologize for the way I treated you."

"You have?" Flame asked, taken aback.

"Yes. You have been a good friend to me all these years. Threatening you with violence was no way to repay your kindness. I am also sorry for denying your love for me."

"You…You are?" Flame was surprised.

"I am. So, I've thought of a way to show that I am sorry, something that you'll really appreciate…"

Tyrrany reached behind Flame and pulled his brown cloak off, confusing him.

"What are you doing, Anny?" He asked. Tyrrany grabbed Flame's shoulders and spun him to the right so that she could look him in the eyes. She smiled again.

"Flame, I want to mate with you."

"WHAT?" He screamed incredulously. "No!"

Tyrrany was both confused and annoyed.

"'No'? What do you mean, 'No'?" Flame stepped back from the White dragoness.

"There's no way that this is real. How can you go from 'I will personally castrate you' to 'let's have sex' so fast?"

"I'm trying to apologize to you!"

"Even if you really _are_ sorry, I don't _want_ to mate with you."

"Why not?"

"I really do love you, Anny, and I do want to be with you. But, mating is a big deal. I'm not ready for it, and neither are you."

"Of course I am!"

"No, you're not. I don't know what suddenly made you want to do something like that, but I'm not going to. Forget it." Flame turned around. "I'm heading back downstairs. Come talk to me when you want to show an apology the _right_ way. Goodnight."

As Flame walked towards, the stairs, Tyrrany's eyes flared with rage. She suddenly appeared in front of Flame, blocking his path. She was snarling. The red dragon jumped.

"I give you the opportunity you've wanted for ages, and you think you can just SNUB me?" the red dragon became afraid.

"We're not ready, Anny. We shouldn't-"

Before he could finish, Tyrrany slashed Flame across the face. He yelped in pain. The dragoness then grabbed Flame's chest and shoved him upwards, flipping him onto his back. Before the dragon could get away, Tyrrany appeared on top of him. She was too strong for the red dragon to push her off.

"Anny, stop!" Flame protested. "I don't want it like this!"

"TOO BAD!" Tyrrany bellowed. "I won't let you deny me this pleasure!"

"But…" Flame started to cry, both from the pain of the bleeding cut on his face, and the pain of being forced into this position.

"If you don't mate with me right now, I'll make you REGRET it!" Tyrrany snarled. "Now put yourself inside me! **NOW**!"

"Fine… " Flame said, defeated.

Tyrrany felt Flame slip himself within her. It was a sensation she had never felt before. The dragoness started moaning in pleasure. She looked down at Flame. The dragon was silently crying a river of tears. Tyrrany placed one of her front paws on Flame's wound, using her Water element to heal the bleeding.

"You _know_ that you wanted this for a long time, Flame." Tyrrany said to him.

"Why?" He asked her. "Why would you force me into this? We're supposed to be friends."

"You wanted us to be more than friends, right? Well, now we can."

"Wh..What will Bergan say when he finds out?" Flame exclaimed. "He'll kill me!"

"He doesn't _have_ to find out." Tyrrany smiled again. "This can be our little secret."

"Please…" Flame pleaded. "Can't we stop this now?"

"No…" Tyrrany wrapped her front legs around Flame, holding him close. "Get comfortable, Flame: It's going to be a long night."

The dragoness then kissed Flame's lips, sticking her tongue into his mouth. Flame gave up trying to resist, and just let Tyrrany have her way with him….

As all of this happened, Arthur was right downstairs. He heard everything that was happening. The dragonfly wanted to put an end to what Tyrrany was doing. But he was no fool: there was no way a single dragonfly could stop a teenaged female dragon.

Arthur sighed.

"How can you do that to him, Anny?" He asked silently.

The dragonfly lied on the floor, shutting his eyes to go to sleep. The whole while, he heard the sounds of Tyrrany moaning and Flame crying.


	13. Act 3, Chapter 5

Act 3, Chapter 5

The next morning…

Tyrrany slowly awoke. She looked around. She was lying on top of Flame. He was still inside her. The white dragoness watched her mate snore quietly.

After the two had mated, they fell asleep right on the spot. Tyrrany had enjoyed herself. Flame, however, was almost completely silent.

"Flame, you idiot." Tyrrany whispered. "Why couldn't you just be happy about this?"

Of course, Flame didn't answer. Tyrrany sighed.

The Dragoness shook her companion's shoulders to wake him up.

"It's morning, Flame." She said sweetly. "Time to get up."

Flame slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Tyrrany. He then looked away from her, frowning.

"Get off me." He said coldly.

"What's wrong, Flame?" Tyrrany asked, confused.

"'What's wrong'?" Flame turned and glared at the dragoness. "WHAT'S WRONG? You VIOLATED me! Why, Tyrrany? Why do this?"

"Is _that_ what's wrong?" Tyrrany scoffed. "Surely not! You enjoyed it almost as much as I did."

"Of course that's what's wrong!" Flame protested. "I didn't want to mate with you, and you-" Tyrrany cocked an eyebrow skeptically.

"Didn't want to? Then what was all that groaning and moaning and those 'oh Tyrrany's I heard from you last night?"

"Uh, well…" Flame got nervous. "I _did_ get into it around the end, but the point is you forced me at the-"

"See? You _did_ like it! I don't see what your problem is. We both had a good time, and you've wanted me for so long, so why the fuss _now_?"

"It's just…. It's just…." Flame didn't know what to say. Tyrrany scowled at him.

"I see, you don't love me."

"What?"

Tyrrany got up off of Flame, the latter sliding free of her.

"Well if that's the case, I'll just leave, and you'll never have to se me again."

"But-"

"I guess I was wrong in thinking we could be together. You're no different than any of those assholes back in Faeshrine." The dragoness turned to walk down the stairs. "Goodbye."

"Wait!" Flame exclaimed frantically. He quickly got onto his feet. The White dragoness turned around to look at him. She was still glaring at him.

"Tyrrany, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I do love you, but I'm just angry that you used me like that." Flame reached out and placed one of his paws on top of hers. "Don't leave me." Tyrrany smiled.

"It doesn't _have_ to be like last night, you know. We can both fully enjoy each other if you want. You want me, and I want you. Why can't we indulge a little?"

"I guess that would be okay. I love you Tyrrany, and I just want to make you happy."

"It's good to hear that."

Tyrrany felt her stomach rumbling.

"I'm going to the Grasslands to get something to eat. Would you like to come?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself." Tyrrany leaned forwards and kissed Flame on the lips.

"When I come back, we can 'indulge' ourselves a bit more."

"Uh, okay.."

Tyrrany turned, walked down the stairs, and left through he front door. Flame watched her leave the whole time until she left his view. He sighed.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

The red dragon turned around and approached the window. As he did this, Arthur flew up into the room.

"Flame!" He shouted.

"Yeah?" the dragon asked.

"Are you alright, man? I heard everything that happened last night!" The dragonfly turned to the stairs, glaring. "What's gotten into that girl lately?"

"There's nothing to worry about." Flame said solemnly.

"Nothing to worry about?" Arthur exclaimed incredulously. "Dude, Anny _RAPED_ you! It's a pretty big deal!

"It's not her fault that she came on so strong?"

"'came on so strong'? Are you listening to yourself?"

"Bergan made her grow up to be the way she is."

"What makes you think that?"

Flame didn't answer. Instead, he turned to walk down the stairs.

"Stay here and wait for Tyrrany to come back, Arthur."

"Where are _you_ going?" Arthur demanded.

"I'm going to find Anny's mother."

…

Elenar and the other adult dragons were hard at work trying to get a grip of the situation in Glenhaven. When Mimet and Jules were contacted, they immediately started helping out. Since Mimet was Telus's daughter, she took direct control of the Local authorities, while Jules helped Hontus, Seraph, Elenar and the Deep Shadows perform their investigation.

Late last night, after Albanion and Aegis returned from their rounds, Elenar had Aegis cast the spell to contact Urobos and Wraith. Elenar found out that Spyro and Cynder were willing to aid them. The Queen also told them about what Bergan had done to the Glenhaven Palace, and her encounter with her daughter Hope. The four dragons were appalled, and promised to pick up the pace to arrive as soon as possible.

It was the middle of the morning when Urobos, Wraith, Spyro and Cynder finally arrived. Elenar, Elza and Hontus had waited for them just outside the North wall of the City.

As the four dragons came to a landing, The Queen, Deep Shadow and Guardian bowed down.

"It is wonderful to be in your presence again, Cynder." The Queen said. The Black dragoness sighed.

"Will there ever be a time when you consider me your equal?" She asked. The younger dragons righted themselves.

"Sorry." Hontus said. "It's just that you're of such incredible status."

"Our time as Heroes ended ages ago." Spyro said. "We are the same as you are now."

"Hey, uh, no need to sound rude.." Wraith replied. "But I don't think we have time to just stand around yammering."

"Wraith is correct." Urobos added. "We should find the others and try to figure out what Bergan is planning."

"Yes." Elenar said. "Let's go."

The seven dragons spread their wings and took to the skies.

…

Meanwhile, in the center of Glenhaven, Albanion, Aegis and Jules were leading a squadron of local Cheetah soldiers through the lower passages of the Palace. Just like the previous night, they were searching for anyone who might have remained after the Palace was ripped from the earth. So far, there was no luck.

The Guardian and Deep Shadows were deep into the lower passages when Jules began to inquire.

"How did this even happen?" Jules demanded.

"As far as we can tell," Aegis began, "Bergan used a massive amount of Convexity to take control of the entire building."

"We don't know what he's planning to do with the children." Albanion. "But whatever it is, we won't let him fulfill it."

"Let's hope so." The Lightning Guardian remarked.

Suddenly, one of the cheetahs came running up to the three dragons.

"Sir Jules! Sir Jules!" He shouted.

"What is it?" Jules asked.

"We've found someone!"

"You have?" Albanion asked.

"Yes, but he's in horrible condition."

"Who is it?" Aegis inquired.

"We don't know."

"Lead us to him."

The cheetah turned and led the three dragons deeper into the passageways. After a short while of walking, the three dragons saw who the cheetahs had found.

It was an adult red dragon, He had black eyes, four orange horns that curled backwards on his head, and an Orange mane and beard. The dragon's wings were missing: in their stead were two large burns across the stubs of bone.

The dragon had somehow been laying in the middle of a walkway, moaning in pain. The cheetahs were helping him get onto his feet.

"Are you alright?" Albanion asked the dragon.

"No, I am not." the dragon answered, still moaning. "I had to cauterize my wounds to keep from bleeding to death."

"Who are you?" Aegis asked.

"My name is Anthony." The stranger answered. "Please, you must take me to see the highest remaining authorities of Glenhaven. Immediately!"

"Why?" Jules asked. What the stranger said next made the dragons gasp.

"Because I am the one responsible for what happened to the Glenhaven Palace!"

…

Flame left the abandoned house and took off into flight. He needed to find Tyrrany's mother.

Flame wasn't sure what to believe. For the longest time, he knew only what Bergan said: That Queen Elenar abandoned Tyrrany's egg in the Tarune Forest shortly after laying it. He had always suspected that Bergan was lying, but he could never find a way to prove it. Still, he always believed there had to be more to it. That's why Flame was reluctant to help Tyrrany kill her mother.

Flame was unsure just what kind of dragoness Tyrrany's mother was. At least, not until yesterday evening. When Tyrrany attacked her, Elenar refused to fight back most of the time, and apologized when she struck the White dragoness down. Elenar also claimed that Bergan was lying to her. Elenar even called Tyrrany by the name "Hope".

"That has to be a good sign", Flame said. "If I can convince Elenar and Anny to sit down and talk to one another, then maybe they can finally put an end to this conflict."

The problem was, Flame didn't know where to _find_ Elenar.

"Where could she be?"

Not sure where to go, Flame decided to fly to the remains of the Glenhaven Palace. If he was lucky, he might run into some of those dragons who were wearing those strange dark grey robes.

"Maybe they'll lead me to Anny's mom," He said to himself. "If they don't kill me on sight."

As Flame was flying towards the giant mound in the center of Glenhaven, he spotted something that made him gasp and fly down to a rooftop for cover. Two groups of dragons were flying through the air in the distance: One group of four dragons flying out of the Mound, and another group of SEVEN dragons approaching the mound from the north.

"What the?" Flame asked.

Wanting to get a better view, Flame took to flight, staying close to the rooftops to avoid being seen. In the smaller group, two of the dragons were holding a third one in the air, the latter of which seemed to be missing his wings.

"What happened to that guy?" Flame wondered out loud.

The young dragon also realized that a few of the dragons were wearing dark grey robes.

"They must be Queen Elenar's bodyguards."

Flame watched as the two groups came together. The dragons among them seemed to be fascinated by the wingless man. After a short while, all of the dragons flew to the Western section of Glenhaven.

"If I follow them, maybe they'll lead me to the Queen."

So, Flame flew to the West, following the other dragons from a distance.

…

It was over half an hour later. Everyone had returned to Hontus and Seraph's home.

Elenar, Rune, Cyrus, Nellie, Tina, Hontus, Seraph, Mimet, Jules, Urobos, Albanion, Elza, Wraith, Aegis, Spyro, and Cynder were sitting or standing around the Living room. They were all crowded around the Red dragon known as Anthony. Meanwhile, Flame had snuck around the outside of the building and listened by the window.

Elenar spoke first.

"What has become of the Palace, Anthony?" She asked coldly.

Flame gasped.

_Dad?_

"Allow me to explain." Anthony began. "Whether you find my actions deplorable of not, I was only following my employer's orders."

"Who _is_ your employer?" Jules asked.

"A man named Bergan. He is the owner and founder of the Faeshrine Trading Company."

"Typical." Wraith groaned. Anthony continued.

"A few days ago, Bergan assigned me and one of my accomplices the task of abducting prince Rune."

"Why?" Elenar asked.

"I know not: He didn't say. We were supposed to capture Rune, as well as the other children in the Palace, by overrunning it with several of our soldiers disguised as traders, as well as scores of monsters known as Crepsculi."

"How did you manage to summon them?"

"Bergan devised a way to artificially wield the power of Fury Gems, which in turn summoned those creatures into our world. But I digress. Bergan had planned the capture of the children of Glenhaven for weeks. He also planned on capturing the children of Warfang. I don't know what he wants to do with the children."

"Why are you admitting to all of this?" Elza asked. Anthony scowled.

"Bergan crippled me and left me for dead when I made a simple mistake. For that injustice, I gladly betray him. Punish me whatever way you see fit: I don't care."

"Hmmm…" Urobos said. "What could Bergan be planning to do?"

"I think I know what it is." Tina said. Everyone looked at the dark yellow dragoness.

"What is it, Tina?" Aegis asked.

"When Cyrus, Elza and I were on The Nexus," she began, "Bergan used the power of Convexity to transform, my, Cyrus, and all of the other children in The Nexus into giants."

"That's right." Cynder said. "When we saw Cyrus at Mount Erebus, the boy was a monster."

"Bergan's plan didn't work as well as he had hoped." Tina continued. "All of the Dark dragons that used to be Light dragons still held onto their free will, and the Purple dragons were completely unaffected."

"Really?" Spyro asked.

"Yes. After this, however, Bergan had the brainwashed dragon slaughter the others."

"He did _WHAT?_" Several of the Dark dragons bellowed. Tina sighed.

"I'm the only one that was spared, and that was so that Bergan could hand me over to Cyrus in an attempt to win his loyalty."

"It didn't work." Cyrus said. "I managed to hold onto enough of my real self to help Tina escape. But after I did that, Bergan enhanced the spell on me to brainwash me completely."

"But how did he manage it in the first place?" Urobos asked. "Where did he get so much Convexity energy?"

"The realm the energy is named after." Cyrus answered. "When Bergan captured The Nexus, he teleported it to the realm of Convexity."

"Bergan must have taken the Glenhaven Palace to Convexity to perform the same spell on all of the Light dragon children." Spyro said.

"He's building an army." Urobos added.

"But what for?" Albanion asked. "If he's the leader of the FTC, then surely he already has an entire army at his command."

"Maybe he wishes to control an army of _Dragons_ instead." Elenar said. "Dragons are able to control magic, which would serve him greatly."

"No." Anthony said. "That can't be it. He already has scores of Dragons under his employ."

"Then what is he planning then?"

"I believe I know where you will find out: the Pit of the Fallen."

"What makes you believe that?" Elenar asked.

"For the longest time, Bergan has been obsessed with a certain group of dragons. Dragons that committed the most horrible acts of evil imaginable."

"Who _are_ these dragons?" Spyro asked, intrigued.

"Each of the dragons lived in his or her own time period. Bergan calls them, the Victiumirti."

"Victiumirti?"

"The Victiumirti were dragons who each attempted to bring about the destruction of the entire world. And each one almost succeeded."

"Like Malefor." Cynder said.

"Malefor is _one_ of them." Anthony corrected. "Another Victiumirtus is Runileon the Wicked. And another still was Amouris the Temptress."

"Amouris the temptress?" Seraph asked. "Who is that?"

"Amouris was a Purple dragoness, and the first one to be born after the fall of Malefor." Elenar began. "She became the first bride of Inferdus, the first King of Clan Aries. Amouris was born sterile, and was unable to produce children. Because of this, Inferdus married a normal Pain dragoness to produce children."

"He divorced Amouris?"

"No, he didn't. Inferdus was still romantically attached to Amouris, so he chose to be a bigamist. Amouris, however, felt betrayed. So, she proceeded to go behind Inferdus's back and mate with the rulers of other Clans in exchange for part of their power. After the dragoness gained enough power, she killed Inferdus and his second wife, and attempted to take over all twelve of the clans. During her campaign, she suddenly went mad with power, and tried to bring about the end of the world."

"However," Anthony interrupted, "She was rebelled against, and eventually slain. After Amouris died, no more Purple dragons tried to destroy the world. At least, not until Bergan came around…"

"You believe that Bergan is planning to bring about the Great Cleansing?" Spyro asked.

"I am not sure. However, a key event in Bergan's plan is set to take place at the Pit of the Fallen, where he'll gain access to the Underworld."

"That's not possible." Elenar interjected. "There's a barrier around Mount Erebus that prevents all from entering without permission from the royal family."

"That may not be entirely true." Urobos said. "When we were at Mount Erebus, Bergan somehow made his way through the barrier."

"How is that possible?" Elza asked.

"I don't know."

"In any case," Elenar said, "I think it's clear what we must do: We shall return to Mount Erebus and put a stop to Bergan's plans."

"Who will go?" Mimet asked.

"Bergan is a powerful dragon. I believe that Urobos, Spyro, Cynder, Albanion, Aegis and I should go. The rest of us shall stay behind and look after the citizens of Glenhaven." The Queen looked around the room. "Does that sound fair?"

Almost everyone agreed, except for Cyrus, Wraith and Elza.

"Why can't I go with you?" Cyrus asked. "I'm more than capable of fighting, Mother!"

"I'm an expert at Magic!" Wraith added. "I'd be as competent as any of the other Deep Shadows!"

"And _I_ won't have you leaving without me by your side!" Elza protested. Elenar looked between the three of them, sighing

"Cyrus, Bergan is far stronger than you. Even though you possess all twelve elements, you're no match for him. Wraith, I need you to continue tutoring my two sons. And Elza, I know you wish to fight alongside me, and I'm grateful. But you're in no condition to fight: your eggs are almost ready to be laid."

"But.." the Trio complained in unison.

"This discussion is over." Elenar said. She then looked around the room. "We have preparations to make."

And with that, the many dragons in the room proceeded to split up to attend to their individual matters. Jules, Mimet, Albanion and Aegis forced Anthony to go with them as they left for another part of the city. After a while, the only ones still in the room were Elenar, Elza and Wraith

"I still think you should let me come along." Wraith said. "I'd be a big help."

"Wraith, there's a chance that some of us won't be returning." Elenar said. "I need you to stay here and continue training my sons."

"When are you planning to leave?" Elza asked.

"I don't know. But it should be soon." the Queen answered. "However, there's another matter that I need to attend to."

"What would that be?" Wraith asked.

"I need to find my daughter. I have to get her to understand that Bergan lied to her."

_She wants to find Anny? This could make things easier for me._

"Do you have any idea where she could be?" Elza asked.

"No. But, I'll do whatever it takes to find her."

Flame took a deep breath.

_Here goes…_

The young red dragon poked his head up in front of the window.

"I can take you to see her." He said out loud. The three dragons jumped at the sudden voice.

"Who's there?" Wraith demanded. The Deep Shadow turned and looked at the window that Flame was floating behind. Wraith suddenly teleported just behind the other side of the window.

"Who the fuck are you, kid?" He asked. Flame got nervous. Elenar and Elza approached the window as well.

"I've seen you before." Elza said. "You're one of Hope's accomplices."

"Yeah…" The young dragon said.

"Why are you here?" Elenar asked. "Where is Hope?"

"Like I said, I can take you to see Tyrrany right now." Flame answered.

"Why would you be so helpful?" Elza asked, skeptically.

"Because I care about Tyrrany, and I want to help her."

"What do you mean?" Elenar asked.

"I can explain on the way, if you want to come along."

…

Tyrrany sat on the upper floor of the abandoned house. She was irritated.

After she had consumed another sheep's flesh, she was expecting Flame to be waiting for her. Instead, he was gone.

_Where did he go?_ The thought angrily. She had tried wrestling the information out of Arthur, but the dragonfly only said that Flame had gone to fly around the city for a while.

The red dragon's cloak and other belongings were still here, and obviously Arthur was still around, so it wasn't possible that Flame had run off on her. Still, he had been missing for a quite a while now.

_I hope he returns soon._

Soon, the front door started to open. Tyrrany instantly turned around and fled downstairs. Sure enough, Flame walked through the door. The white dragoness greeted her lover by nuzzling him.

"Where have you been, Flame?" Tyrrany asked. "I've been waiting."

"Oh, I've just been flying around the city." He answered.

"That's not a good idea: Someone might follow you."

"I know…." Flame looked into the White dragoness's eyes. "Um, Anny?"

"Yes?"

"There's someone outside who wants to talk to you."

"What?" Tyrrany asked, shocked. "You led someone here?"

"Please don't be mad. I did it for you."

"Who is it?" Flame sighed. "You may wish to take a few steps back."

Tyrrany did as Flame suggested, while the red dragon turned around and opened the door the whole way. When the visitor walked inside, Tyrrany gasped in shock and alarm.

It was Elenar.

…

**Once again, another boring-as-fuck filler chapter. I really hate these chapters, because they're filled with to much yackidy-yak-yak to explain the plot. At the very least, I put an emotional scene at the beginning, and it's ended with a cliffhanger to piss you off. Stay tuned next time to see Tyrrany and Elenar finally talk about Bergan's bullshitting.**


	14. Act 3, Chapter 6

Act 3, Chapter 6

Tyrrany stepped back even further. Surprise and anger was etched onto her face.

"You brought **HER** here?" She exclaimed at Flame. "WHY?"

"I brought her here to talk to you." the red dragon answered.

"Well **I** sure as fuck don't want to talk to THIS she-beast!" The White dragoness snapped. She then turned to look at Elenar. "GET OUT!"

The dark grey dragoness frowned.

"Hope, please, I-"

"My name is TYRRANY!" Elenar sighed.

"Alright, Tyrrany. Just give me a chance to explain my actions. I promise that once I'm done, I'll leave you alone, and I'll keep this meeting of ours a secret."

Tyrrany just glared up at her mother. "Why should I trust you?"

Elenar frowned again. "Do you possess the Memory element?"

"Yes."

"Then you may use it to look into my mind and see if I'm lying."

Tyrrany thought for a moment. "Fine." Elenar smiled.

"Thank you. And if it's alright with you, Tyrrany, two of my companions are waiting just outside. May they step inside?"

Tyrrany glared for a moment, but sighed with contempt. "Whatever."

The White dragoness flashed a glare at Flame, who grimaced. "When this is all over, you and I are going to have a talk about this."

"Alright, Anny." He sighed.

Tyrrany turned and walked up the stairs. Elenar followed her, careful not to bang her head on the ceiling. As those two dragonesses went upstairs, Elza and Wraith stepped inside. The Magic Tutor glanced around, grimacing.

"You guys have been living in _this _dump?" he asked in contempt

"Well, it's not much," Flame responded, "But it works for us."

...

Tyrrany sat on one side of the room, while Elenar did her best to sit on the other side of the room. The two dragonesses, mother and daughter, just looked at each other, the former filled with sorrow, and the latter filled with bitterness.

As Elenar started talking, Tyrrany used her Memory element to peer into her mother's mind.

"Tyrrany, do you know about the Twilight War?"

"Yes." The White dragoness answered. "It was the conflict between the many clans of Light and Dark dragons. But what does that have to do with me?"

"In a way, the war's end led to your conception."

"How so?" Elenar sighed.

"If you wish, you may look into my mind to see my memory of the night that you were conceived. But take heart, Tyrrany: It was not a pleasent event."

Curious, and seeing that Elenar wasn't lying, Tyrrany extended her mind and peered into her Mother's memories. When she saw the night of her creation, she was horrified. She saw Bergan lying on top of Elenar, forcing the dark grey dragoness to submit to him.

"No..." Tyrrany said in disbelief. "This can't be real..." Elenar sighed in pity.

"It is the truth."

"_That_ is why you abandoned me?" The young dragoness exclaimed. "I was nothing more than the product of rape?"

Elenar shook her head no. "You have it all wrong."

"Why did you submit to father in the first place?"

Elenar told Tyrrany about Bergan's plan to save the dark dragon race from eradication, how the dark grey dragoness altered the plan, and eventually had a hand in the creation of The Hive and married the dragon Bane out of convenience.

"I was planning on keeping you after laying your egg." Elenar said. "Bane had no qualms about raising you as his own child."

"Then why didn't you keep me?" Tyrrany demanded.

"When I finally laid your egg, it was White."

"You threw me away becasue of _tha_t?"

"I didn't throw you away. And there was more to it than just your egg color."

"Then what was it?"

"Tyrrany, your hide is White for a reason."

"A reason?" Tyrrany became confused.

"Your were created this way because of the Curse passed down by a dragon named Runileon the Wicked."

"Runileon the Wicked?"

Elenar told Tyrrany about her great grandfather, and how he was a horrible White dragon who commited mass genocide of the dark dragon race. She also spoke about the Curse he placed upon his two children when he was slain.

"If any dark dragons knew that you were a White dragon, they would've demanded that you be killed." Elenar said. "So, fearing for you safety, I brought you to your father so he could look after you."

"You...you were trying to protect me all this time?"

"I wanted you to stay hidden until a time came when the dark dragons would accept you."

"But...that time never came, did it?"

"Actually, nine years ago, it did. When the time came close for Bane to become King of the dark dragons, I asked if we could travel to Faeshrine to bring you back to live with us. He promised that he would retrieve you after he received the Monarchy. But that would never happen..."

"Why not?" Tyrrany asked.

"Because shortly after he became King, The Hive was attacked and destroyed by the Darkstalkers."

"You lost your life during the attack." Tyrrany added. Elenar nodded.

"Yes. But, five years later, I was brought back."

"How?"

Elenar told Tyrrany about the Malefor Ordeal. the Queen spoke about how the purple dragon manipulated Rune and Cyrus into ressurrecting him, how Rune became possessed by Malefor's essense, and how Bane sacrificed himself to save Rune and keep Malefor imprisoned.

"In the end, I was left with rulership over the city of Warfang." Elenar said. "Over the next few months after the ordeal ended, I sent invitations to the rulers of the other dragon cities and settlements to come to meet in Warfang. I was hoping that Bergan would come, and bring you along with him. I had hoped that I could finally meet you in person for the first time."

"But we didn't come." Tyrrany said sadly.

Tyrrany sat on the floor. She couldn't believe what she had learned. All this time, she believed that Elenar had left Bergan for another man, and left the White dragoness for dead. But it was a lie. Bergan told her nothing for lies.

"Father was having me train so that I could one day kill you." She said. "That was the greatest ambition in my life: to kill the dragoness who crushed my father's heart and abandoned me. He's the one who raised me, because you were never there. But, you mean this whole time he was manipulating me? This can't be true. He couldn't have been lying! He couldn't have!"

Tyrrany broke into tears. "Bergan's my father! He's supposed to look after me! Care about me!"

Elenar approached her crying daughter. "_I_ care about you."

"You were never there for me!" Tyrrany snapped.

"But I _wanted _to be there. I never stopped worrying about you." Elenar placed a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "You're my daughter, Hope. I love you."

"How can you say that after I tried to kill you?" Tyrrany asked.

"I don't blame you, Hope. You were tricked by Bergan." Elenar spread her front legs to offer her daughter a hug. "Everything's forgiven."

Tyrrany looked at her mother, and accepted the hug. For a while, the two dragonesses, mother and daughter, just sat there on the floor. For the first time in her life, Tyrrany finally had what she wanted since she was a hatchling: To be accepted and loved by her mother.

"When this ordeal with your father has finally ended," Elenar said to Tyrrany, "You're more than welcome to return to Warfang with me and your brothers."

"You'd let me live with you?"

"Why wouldn't I, Tyrrany?"

"..You may call me Hope." Elenar smiled.

"As you wish, Hope." The White dragoness smiled back.

Suddenly, Wraith started shouting from downstairs.

"YOU HIGHNESS!"

The Deep Shadow ran up the steps, hitting his head against the ceiling.

"Ow! Fuck!"

"What is it, Wraith?" The Queen asked.

"It's Elza! She's about to produce her eggs!"

...

A few moments ago...

Wraith, Elza and Flame sat on the floor, while Arthur floated near the young red dragon. It was awkwardly quiet. Elza decided to break the silence by speaking.

"Tell me, boy." She began. "How do you and your friend there relate to the Queen's daughter?"

"Well, we've been Anny's friends for a long as we can remember." Flame answered.

"Anny?" Wraith asked, confused.

"Anny is Tyrrany's nickname." Arthur answered. "She's had a short fuse growing up in Faeshrine, so we gave her the nickname 'Angry Anny'." Wrath chuckled.

"That's actually kind of cute." Elza flashed the younger Deep Shadow a glare.

"What _isn't _cute is the fact that you attacked prince Cyrus and attempted to murder the Queen." She said coldly.

"We're not the ones who attacked!" Arthur protested.

"Yeah!" Flame added. "It was Tyrrany who did all that. Artie and I were just assigned to protect her from harm!"

"Who assigned you?" Wraith inquired.

"Our boss Bergan did." Flame answered. "He didn't want Anny getting hurt, so we became her bodyguards." Elza looked the two boys up and down.

"Even if the Queen forgives you, don't think think that _I_ will so easilly."

Flame and Arthur gulped. Wraith laughed.

"Don't worry. Elza's just overly protective of Queen Elenar and her sons." The green dragoness glared at Wraith again.

"We are on the job, Wraith. Act it."

"Heh, _you're_ one to talk, Mrs. 'I like to make out with Albanion out in public'."

Elza growled, while Flame and Arthur were left confused.

"Wraith, if you do not put that topic to rest, I will personally-"

Suddenly, Elza gasped and knelt down, clutching her belly. Wraith and the two teenagers watched her, alarmed.

"Elza, what's wrong?" Wraith asked.

"My eggs.." The green dragoness groaned. "..They're coming!"

"Oh Lordy!" The other Deep Shadow exclaimed.

"She's carrying eggs?" Arthur shouted.

"Long story!" Wraith exclaimed. The Deep Shadow ran around Elza and charged up the steps.

"YOU HIGHNESS!" He shouted. As he ran up the steps, he banged his head against the ceiling.

"Ow! Fuck!" He shouted, rubbing his head.

"What is it, Wraith?" The Queen asked.

"It's Elza! She's about to produce her eggs!"

"What?" Elenar shouted. "I'll be right down!"

As Wraith turned to go back downstairs, Elenar looked down at her daughter, who had calmed down.

"Do you wish to come witness this, Hope?" the older dragoness asked.

"Okay." She answered.

...

Elenar and Tyrrany walked down the stairs to see Elza. Wraith and Flame had helped the dragoness get back up onto all fours and out of her dark grey robes. The Deep Shadow was breathing heavilly, and shaking in pain.

When Elza saw Elenar approach her, the green dragoness had a pleading look about her.

"Was the process this painful when _you_ went through it?" Elza asked, shedding a few tears. Elenar sighed.

"Be strong, Elza: It'll be over in a few minutes."

Tyrrany walked over and stood next to Flame and Arthur. The three teenagers watched as Wraith and Elenar helped Elza stay on her feet. the White dragoness was fascinated by the event, while Flame and Arthur were uncomfortable.

"How can you sit through this?" Flame whispered to her.

"Well, I've never seen this before." She answered.

"I haven't either, but I hope I never do again."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Uh..."

Suddenly, Elza cried out in pain.

"I can feel the first one coming!" the green dragoness exclaimed, tears pouring from her eyes. The top of a small green egg slowly started sliding out of the dragoness. Elenar grabbed Elza's robes and placed it in a bunched-up heap just underneath the protruding egg, so that it would cushion the egg's fall. After sliding out a little bit more, Elza pushed the egg out, howling in pain in the process.

"You're doing well so far, Elza!" Wraith said reassuringly.

"How many more are there?" Elenar asked.

"I can feel two more." Elza groaned. "Oh, I can't stand this!"

"It'll be over soon." Elenar promised. "Just hold on for a little while longer!"

After another ten agonizing minutes, Elza managed to push out the other two eggs: A dark grey one, and another green one, respectively. After Wraith moved the eggs out from underneath Elza, the green dragoness collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.

"Are they alright?" She asked. Wraith smiled, presenting the three eggs to her.

"They're in perfect condition." The Deep Shadow answered.

Elza sat up, and cradled her eggs.

"Welcome to parenthood, Elza." Elenar said.

"They're beautiful." the greed dragoness cheered, tears of joy in her eyes.

"As long as they don't have Alby's scowl when they hatch, then you'll be correct." Wraith responded. The three adults had a laugh.

Meanwhile, Flame and Arthur were relieved that the _unpleasant_ parts were over.

"As much as the howling in pain makes me feel awkward," Arthur said, "Seeing her with her eggs is kind of heartwarming."

"Yeah..." Tyrrany added.

_Is that what mother went through when MY egg was laid?_ The White dragoness asked herself. _Did she cradle me like that?...Will I ever do the same?_

Tyrrany wrapped her tail around Flame's, surprising the young dragon.

"What?" He asked. Tyrrany smiled.

"Nothing..."

After a moment of looking at Elza's eggs, Elenar got up and turned to Tyrrany.

"Hope?"

"Yes, mother?"

"You and your two friends there are more than welcome to come back with us when we return to the place we're staying, if you wish."

"Are you certain that is a wise offer to make, Elenar?" Elza asked skeptically.

"I am very certain. Of course, the three of them may stay here, if they wish." Tyrrany turned to face her two friends.

"What do you guys think?" She asked.

"Well, it would be nice to get better conditions to live in." Flame said.

"And this place _does_ stink a bit." Arthur added.

Tyrrany turned to face her mother again.

"We'd be more than happy to go, mother." Elenar smiled.

"Thank you."

...

"I can't believe she won't let me go with her!" Cyrus exclaimed.

It was late at night. The adult dragons broke up their meeting a long while ago. Rune, Cyrus, Nellie, Tina, and Jules and Mimet's son Ruby were standing around in Rune's chamber. The shorter black dragon was still fuming that he wan't allowed to go with the others to the Pit of the Fallen.

"It's not a big deal, Cy." Rune said reassuringly. "I'd much rather stay here in Glenhaven than go to THAT place again."

"You can't be serious, Rune!" The other black dragon snapped. "We're Black Dragons! With our power, we could mop the floor with that asshole Bergan!"

"Oh, like you did back in The Nexus?" Tina asked skeptically.

"That's different!"

"Different how?" Nellie inquired.

"Well, this time there'd I'd have Rune and the others to back me up."

"Cyrus, just be happy you're staying behind." Rune said. "I am." The shorter black dragon sighed in contempt.

"Well I'm **not**."

Suddenly, Seraph appeared at the doorway.

"Rune, Cyrus, your mother's back."

"She is?" Cyrus asked.

"Yes. And she's brought someone with her that you might want to see."

Curious, Cyrus walked out of the room to go find out who it was. Tina and Nellie followed suit, the latter leading Ruby by the paw. Rune followed the others out.

_**I have a good idea who it could be**_, Runefor said.

_Really? Who?_

_**Surely you can find out for yourself, Rune.**_

...

Tyrrany followed Elenar as the Queen led her and the others back to Hontus and Seraph's home. As they all flew, Wraith helped Elza carry her eggs, while Flame and Arthur flew close behind Tyrrany.

When they all finally arrived, and Seraph left to tell the princes that Elenar had returned, Tyrrany became nervous.

"What's wrong, Hope?" her mother asked, concerned.

"I tried to kill Cyrus earlier this week," Tyrany answered, "And Rune witnessed me intervening in the battle between his girlfriend and her rival. Surely they'll be enraged to see me after all I've done."

"I may not know about Cyrus, but Rune is a very compassionate young dragon." Elenar reassured. "At the very least, Cyrus will at least hear your story."

A moment later, Rune, Cyrus, that Nellie girl, and two others she didn't recognize walked into the front room. They were definately surprised to see Tyrrany.

"Uh, hello." Tyrrany said anxiously.

"What're YOU doing here?" Cyrus demanded angrilly.

"I, uh, I want to apologize for my previous behavior."

"Yeah, like I'm going to **believe **that!"

"Cyrus, dear, please give Hope a chance to explain herself." Elenar said. The black dragon harumphed. He looked over at his brother, who walked up to stand next to him.

"What do _you_ think, Rune?" The other prince sighed.

"I'm mad at her as well. She nearly got Nellie seriously injured."

Tyrrany bent her head low. "I understand..."

"However.." Rune continued, "If she's willing to explain herself, I'll hear her out." The White dragoness looked up at Rune, eyes beaming. Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"If Rune will give her a chance, then I will as well." The black dragon said, looking directly at Tyrrany. "So, start talking."

"Thank you, my brothers." She responded.

"Brothers. _Riiight_."

Tyrrany sighed, and began to explain her story.


	15. Act 3, Chapter 7

Act 3, Chapter 7

Elenar and Tyrrany had spent a considerable length of time explaining how Bergan had tricked them both over the years. Hope apologized to both of her brothers for the things she did to them over the last few days. Rune forgave his sister, and Cyrus did as well, although more grudgingly.

Rune and Cyrus were also finally introduced to Flame and Arthur. The red dragon apologized to Cyrus for fighting him back in Warfang. Flame also apologized to Rune for helping Tyrrany intervene in the fight. Both black dragons forgave him, although Rune still had his reservations about the fight.

After this, Tyrrany was introduced to Urobos. Tyrrany knew that he was one of the dragons who had a hand in the death of Runileon, and she was quite intimidated. However, it turned out that Urobos was a kind old man, and treated Tyrrany as if she was his granddaughter by blood.

Later, when Albanion and Aegis returned from their work in the city, Elza surprised her mate by revealing that she had laid her eggs, and presented them to him. Albanion was sad at first for not being there when they were laid, he was happy to see them nonetheless. Everyone congratulated him and Elza for finally becoming parents.

Lastly, when most of the others had left the building to go elsewhere for the night, Urobos and Elenar introduced Tyrrany to Spyro and Cynder, who had waited to speak to her. Immediately, the White dragoness was frightened. She had heard many stories about both of these great dragons over the years, and wasn't sure what to expect. The two ancient dragons told Tyrrany everything that they knew about what Bergan was planning. Tyrrany was still struggling to accept that her father lied to her all this time, but she knew that neither of _these_ two dragons would lie to her.

Once Tyrrany knew what was going on, she wanted to go with the others to confront Bergan. However, Spyro and Cynder denied her request, saying it would be too dangerous for her. After protesting for a while, Tyrrany finally gave in.

When it came time for everyone to retire for the night, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur were provided with a few spare cushions and given room to sleep in the front room of the house. Arthur slept on one side of the room, while Tyrrany and Flame slept on the other. At first, they slept on separate Cushions, but eventually, The white dragoness got up and lied down next to Flame. The red dragon noticed her.

"Do you want to…?" He started to ask her.

"No, I just..." Tyrrany didn't know what to say.

"What?" Flame asked, confused.

"…Could you just drape one of your wings over me?" The White dragoness asked. Flame smiled.

"Sure."

The red dragon did as she asked, and even wrapped one of his forelegs around her. Tyrrany looked into Flame's eyes, tears forming in hers.

"Flame, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry for the way I've treated you all these years, and I'm even _sorrier_ for violating you last night. You've always tried so hard to win my affections, and I'll I ever did was abuse you in one way or another." Tyrrany cried harder. "I don't deserve you."

Flame pulled Tyrrany closer.

"Don't cry, Anny." He said. "I forgive you, just like everyone else has."

"Even for what I did last night?"

"Yes. And I still want to be with you. But, why don't we just take things slowly for now. We can start mating again when we're both ready for it, okay?" Tyrrany wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

"Okay." Flame smiled back, and the two young dragons kissed each other.

…

_**Are you SURE that you want to forgive her so easily?**_

It was late at night. Rune was lying on his bed with his eyes closed, not asleep, but not completely awake either. His brother Cyrus was asleep on a piles of pillows over on the other side of the room; the princes shared Rune's chamber for the time being.

Rune couldn't stop thinking about Hope. Part of him had forgiven his sister, but another part of him wasn't so forgiving. That part was Runefor.

_She was tricked by her Father_, Rune responded to the question._ She was manipulated, just like Malefor did to me._

_**You shouldn't be so forgiving, Rune. For all we know, this sudden behavior in her could be a ruse.**_

_Well, I don't think so._

_**But what if it IS? After all, she has gained our mother's trust, just like her plan was all along. She could be waiting for the right time to sneak over to Elenar and kill her in her sleep. **_Rune gasped.

_That couldn't be true…could it?_

_**Would it be a crime for us to doubt Tyrrany's word?**_

_Her name is Hope._

_**I will call this stranger whatever I please. But that is not the point. The point IS, we barely know this girl, even if she is our sister. If she's been planning to kill our mother all this time, why would she suddenly change her mind NOW, when she could so easily carry out her plans?\**_

_No… _Rune protested. _She wouldn't do that!_

_**Even if you wish to give her the benefit of the doubt, it wouldn't do much harm for us to check on our dear sister and see if she's truly abandoned her quest for matricide.**_

_I'm not going! I don't want to spy on Hope!_

_**Oh, but I do!**_

Suddenly, Rune twitched back and forth and gasped. After a short moment, Rune slowly opened his eyes. But they weren't his own; they were Runefor's. Somehow, Rune's evil other self had taken control of his body all on his own, much to the dragon's shock and alarm.

_HOW DID YOU DO THAT? _Rune demanded.

"Oh, I'm not about to tell you." Runefor answered out loud.

_GIVE ME BACK CONTROL, RIGHT NOW! _Runefor got up off the straw bed, a malevolent grin on his face.

"No, I don't think I will." Runefor replied, walking slowly towards the doorway. "I'd much rather take a stroll."

Runefor walked to the front of the building, Rune protesting the whole way.

_Leave Hope alone!_

"Why?" Runefor inquired.

_She's telling the truth!_

"We don't know that." Runefor stated. "That's why we're going to check on her."

Runefor spotted the White dragoness sleeping next to her red-hided companion. They were sleeping peacefully.

"Well, well, well." Runefor said, frowning. "It looks like Tyrrany has been keeping her word after all."

_There, are you satisfied? _Rune asked angrily. _She was honest with us. Now give me back control of my body!_

A chuckle escaped Runefor's lips, confusing Rune.

_What?_

Runefor held his front right paw out, summoning his sword.

_What are you doing?_ Rune asked frantically.

"Who's to say we can't kill her anyway, and just claim that we spotted her trying to go after our mother's life later?"

_No!_

"It's not as if they'd suspect us, Rune." Rune for responded. "After all, Mother believes that we're quite the compassionate young dragon. Murder isn't in our blood."

_It's in YOUR blood, not mine! _Rune snapped. _You and I will NEVER be the same person!_

"If we're not the same person, then you can rest easy knowing it was **I** who killed Tyrrany, not you." Rune replied, grinning. Runefor spread his wings and levitated, while preparing his sword to stab the dragoness.

_That's not what I meant!_ Rune protested. _Don't do it!_

Runefor didn't seem to listen or care. He lifted the sword over his head..

_NOOO!_

"Yes."

Runefor brought the sword downwards as fast as he could….

..And then, he stopped it, letting the sword tip hover inches above Tyrrany's neck.

_Huh?_ Rune was confused. _You stopped?_

Runefor chuckled once again, sending the sword away in a cloud of smoke.

"I've just realized that I've forgotten something up until now."

_What?_

"Why waste time killing _this_ dragoness, when I could be spending time with _another_ one?"

_I don't understand. What do you…. _And then, Rune realized what he meant. He gasped.

_YOU BASTARD!_

A grin spread across Runefor's face.

"That's right, Rune: I promised you that if _you_ didn't mate with Nellie, then _I_ **WOULD**."

Runefor came to a landing and turned to walk down the hallway, heading for Nellie's chamber.

_Stay away from her!_ Rune snarled. _I MEAN IT!_

"You can't do a thing to me, Rune." Runefor replied smugly. "I can do whatever I please."

Runefor silently opened Nellie's chamber door and walked inside, Rune screaming a barrage of threats and swear words the whole time.

"Do you kiss our mother with that mouth, Rune?" Runefor queried.

_I HATE YOU!_

"That's a shame, because I rather like _you_."

Runefor walked up to the sleeping Nellie, who was lying on her bed, as is usual. He sat down near the blue dragoness's waist and watched her sleep. The poor girl was completely at his mercy.

"Hmmm, now how shall I get started?" He wondered out loud tauntingly.

_Leave her alone! _Rune demanded. Runefor ignored him.

"Shall I do it the old fashioned way?"

_Get away from her!_

"Shall I sixty-nine her?"

_I'm serious!_

"Should I poke my tail into her?"

_Don't even THINK about that!_

After going through a list of about half a dozen disgusting things, and listening to Rune threaten him repeatedly, Runefor finally decided.

"I think I'll do a little foreplay first."

Runefor leaned downwards and kissed Nellie on the lips. He then used one forepaw to massage the dragoness's underbelly. Nellie moaned happily in her sleep.

_Stop it, you pervert!_

Runefor continued massaging Nellie, until the dragoness slowly woke up from sleep. Runefor spoke to her using Rune's voice as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hello, sleepyhead." Runefor said, smiling.

"..Rune?" Nellie asked, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Runefor asked, frowning. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright." Nellie reassured, getting up to sit next to the black dragon. "Say, is there something wrong with your eyes?"

"My eyes?" Runefor asked, sounding confused. "Why? Do they happen to look…. Yellow and Demonic?"

"Well…" Nellie said, looking deep into Runefor's eyes. "..actually, yes."

Rune sighed sadly, looking away. "You were bound to find out eventually."

"Find out what, Rune?" Nellie asked, concerned. Runefor looked back at her.

"Do you remember when I became possessed by Malefor's essence four years ago?"

"Yeah."

"Well, ever since I was freed from his control, part of his appearance rubbed off on me. During certain parts of a month, I temporarily take on Malefor's eyes, which you can see right now."

_Don't listen!_ Rune shouted. _He's lying!_

"I hope this doesn't change the way you think about me, Nellie." Runefor said sadly.

"Why would it?" Nellie asked.

"Because these are the eyes of the monster that ate you alive." Tears formed in Runefor's eyes. "_My_ eyes."

Nellie got closer and draped a wing over Runefor's back.

"That was a long time ago, Rune. That monster is gone now."

_No he isn't! He's sitting right next to you!_

Runefor smiled, wrapping his tail around Nellie's. He turned to look into Nellie's eyes.

"Nellie?"

"Yes, Rune?"

"You know that I love you, right?"

"Of course I do." Nellie answered, smiling.

_Nellie, stop listening to him!_

"Then you know that I'd never do anything to hurt you, right?"

"Uh-huh."

_Push me away, before it's too late!_

Runefor pulled Nellie even closer, and wrapped his right foreleg around her waist. He grinned.

"There's something I've been wanting to do with you for a while now…" Nellie gasped, understanding what he meant.

"You want to…"

"That's right." Runefor said, shaking his head yes. "I think we're finally ready for it." the dragoness frowned

"I don't know about that, Rune."

_YES! Deny him! Kick him out even!_

Runefor glared at Nellie.

"What's wrong?" He asked, slightly annoyed but not hostile. "Do you think I'd be unsatisfying?"

"That's not what I mean." Nellie answered. "I just don't know if _I'm_ ready for it."

_That's right! She's YEARS away from being ready! _Runefor frowned.

"I promise that I won't hurt you. And if you want to keep this a secret, I won't tell anyone. I promise." Nellie sighed.

"Well, I guess we were going to mate eventually…"

_What are you SAYING?_

"..You know what?" Nellie asked, smiling. "Let's go ahead." The blue dragoness pulled away from Runefor and lied down on her back. "Whenever you're ready, Rune." She said to him, smiling. He smiled back.

_Nellie, no!_

_**Nellie, yes!**_

Runefor climbed onto the bed and stood over the blue dragoness.

"You're going to enjoy this." He said, grinning. Runefor slowly lowered himself down onto Nellie's body…

GET AWAY FROM HEEEEERRRRRR!

Suddenly, Runefor's head felt like a bomb exploded inside it. He grabbed his head with both forepaws and shut his eyes tightly, screaming in agony.

"Rune?" Nellie asked, frightened.

The black dragon rolled off of Nellie and hit the floor hard. He then twitched violently. Nellie got off of her bed and tried to figure out what was happening to her companion.

"Rune, what's wrong?" She asked, unsure of what to do.

After a moment, the black dragon opened his eyes and breathed heavily. His eyes were Rune's again. It was a struggle, but he managed to regain control of his body.

"Rune, are you okay?" Nellie asked, alarmed.

"I'm fine, Nellie." Rune said, catching his breath. He quickly got up onto his feet. "I've changed my mind."

"About what?"

"We're still not ready to mate." Nellie gave Rune a confused look.

"You seemed to think we were ready a minute ago."

"Yeah, well, uh…" Rune needed to think of a lie quickly. "..I just realized I'm too tired. And I'm not in the mood. Yeah." Nellie gave Rune a puzzled look.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"You're acting awfully strange."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about." Rune turned and started walking towards the doorway. "Go back to sleep, Nellie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh, okay, Rune." Nellie said, still puzzled. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight." Rune said back to the dragoness, shutting the door behind himself.

Rune then turned and walked towards his chamber. Runefor spoke to him the whole time. He wasn't pleased.

_**I don't know HOW you managed to regain control**_, he said bitterly, _**But rest assured that, next chance I get, I'm going to do FAR WORSE than what I had planned to do tonight!**_

_Shut up!_ Rune snapped. _There's no way in the Underworld that I'm going to let you mate with Nellie!_

"_**Mate"? Oh no, I'm not going to stop there!**_ Rune got nervous.

_What do you mean? _Runefor laughed.

_**That's for ME to know, and YOU to scream in horror about when you find out.**_

…

The Realm of Convexity.

When Glenhaven Palace was brought here, Bergan used the power of Convexity energy to transform all of the children into giants, just like he had done to the children of The Nexus. After they were transformed, the Purple dragon made sure to kill any adults that were hiding in the Palace. He also killed any Cats or Moles that happened to still be in the Palace when it teleported to the Realm of Convexity.

When _that_ task was done, he had all of the newly transformed Light dragons fly into The Nexus and pair up with the Dark Dragons that were waiting for them. Bergan did his best to pair up all of the Giant dragons. One Dark dragon was paired with Light dragon of the opposite gender. If there were any excess dragons, Bergan would dispose of them.

While Bergan was distracted in The Nexus, two dragons silently watched the mass gathering of giants from the roof of the Palace. These two dragons were the Fire guardian Voden and the Earth elder Telus.

When the Palace was swarmed by Crepsculi, the two dragons did their best to defend the children However, they were also the first ones to realize that it was a losing battle. So, rather than die fighting, they decided to go into hiding, so that they could remain to save the many captured children. After Bergan abandoned the Palace, the Guardian and Elder found that it was safe to leave. And when they did, they spied of the Purple dragon.

Voden looked around at the abyss, amazed.

"What is this place?" he asked Telus. The elder sighed.

"I know not." He said, frowning. "But that isn't our concern. We need to find out what that man is planning." He spread his massive wings to prepare to fly. "Come, Voden."

"Yes, sir." the Fire guardian replied.

The two dragons flew off of the Palace Roof and across to The Nexus, making sure to be spotted by no one. They came to a landing on one of the fortress's rooftops. They watched as Bergan busily assigned Dragon pairings.

"Look at them all." Voden said, astounded. "He's created an entire army."

"I fear that he's yet to create it." Telus replied solemnly.

"What?" Voden asked, confused. "What do you mean?" Telus pointed a talon.

"Look. See how he's pairing them up? Each pair has one male and one female. And he's presumably used the same Age-enhancing spell on those Dark dragons: Everyone in that gathering appears to be the same age."

"What are you…"

And then, Voden understood. A look of disgust covered his face.

"Why, that deplorable PERVERT!" He exclaimed. Telus quickly grabbed Voden's muzzle.

"Silence, you fool." Telus said, glaring. "You'll alert him to our presence." He let go of the Orange dragon's face.

"My apologies."

The two dragons continued watching Bergan create pairings. As the observed the area, Voden spotted something interesting. Far off to one side of the gathering were three Light dragons that were standing in line and waiting to be paired up. One was a Orange-hided male, another was a Green-hided female, and the last one was a Pink-hided female. Their faces looked familiar, but he couldn't make them out well enough to know why.

Telus noticed Voden's gaze.

"What is it?" the Earth Elder asked.

"Those three look familiar…" Voden replied. "I'm going to get a closer look."

"That may not be a wise course of action." Telus warned.

"Well, I'm curious." Voden said. The Elder sighed.

"Go, but stay hidden."

Voden immediately flew around the outside of the fortress, and then flew back in, stopping near where the familiar-looking giants were. After sneaking close up, Voden analyzed their features. And then, he gasped. The trio was none other than Blank, Emerald and Ember.

_They've been transformed as well!_ Voden shouted in his mind. _I've got to tell Master Telus!_

Voden was about to sneak off, when somebody suddenly spoke behind him.

"What have we here?"

Voden turned around to see Bergan standing behind him, a grin on the Purple dragon's face.

"I could have sworn all of the useless dragons were dead. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes, even me."

The Fire Guardian snarled.

"You won't get away with this!" He exclaimed, getting ready to attack. Bergan sighed.

"I'm afraid that's open for debate. And I'd prefer it if you didn't try to fight me."

"Too bad!"

Voden opened his mouth and attacked with a mighty blast of Fire breath. However, Bergan instantly appeared behind the Orange dragon and struck him in the back of the neck with an Earth blast. Voden fell to the ground in pain, while Bergan sighed.

"Really, is it too much to ask that someone try to negotiate or reason with me for a change?" He asked sadly. "I am so tired of having to let my Magic do the talking."

"Perhaps you would be willing to negotiate with _me_." Someone exclaimed.

"Hmmm?" Bergan asked, looking around. A moment later, Telus came to a landing before him.

"Ah, another dragon who survived the massacre in the Palace." Bergan said, smiling. "And an Elder, no less."

"Correct." Telus answered.

"Well then, dear Elder," Bergan raised an eyebrow, "what do you wish to negotiate?"

Telus glanced over at the three giant dragons that Voden was interested in: They truly were Blank, Ember, and Telus's granddaughter, Emerald. The Elder sighed.

"You believe that your plans will be fulfilled, no matter how much my accomplice here and I try to meddle in them, correct?" Telus asked.

"Why yes, you are correct." Bergan nodded.

"And it is clear that you are superior to us in power, so fighting you is useless."

"Also correct." Bergan smiled. "It's nice to speak to someone sensible, for a change." Telus sighed.

"Well then, would it be too great a burden for you to allow three of the children under your spell to be freed and returned to the Dragon realms?"

"Which three are you speaking of?" Bergan inquired. Telus pointed with a talon towards Blank, Ember and Emerald.

"Those three: My granddaughter and her two companions." Bergan ran a paw through his golden beard.

"Hmmm, is that _all_ you wish for?' He asked.

"I also wish for my younger accomplice here to be allowed to return along with them. You may do what you wish with me afterwards." Voden gasped.

"Master Telus, no!" He protested.

"Silence, Voden." Telus snapped. Bergan started chuckle.

"Considering you are one of the few beings to actually speak to me with respect, I will allow your request." Bergan appeared behind Telus, facing the three giants. The Purple dragon held his left paw out towards them, and his eyes glowed purple. Suddenly, a great amount of Purple energy flowed out of the trio and into Bergan's hand. The three of them then started shrinking in stature, twitching wildly in the process. After a moment, the three dragons were kids again, passed out on the ground.

Bergan turned and looked at Voden, who had gotten back onto his feet.

"There. Now, Mr. Voden, you are free to take your three young friends and leave. I will even teleport you all to the Dragon Realms myself."

Voden walked passed the two other adults and stood next to the children. He grimaced at Bergan.

"Don't think that you'll get away with this, you MONSTER!" Voden snarled. Bergan sighed as he began casting a teleportation spell.

"Yes, yes, I'll be brought to justice, blah blah blah. I've heard it all before."

After a moment, Voden and the three children vanished in a cloud of Purple smoke. Bergan then turned back to Telus, a smirk on his face. The Earth Elder sighed and shut his eyes.

"I'm no fool." Telus said. "You're going to end my life."

"You're quite calm about it, Elder." Bergan responded.

"I'm an old man. I was destined to die any day now. I couldn't possibly stop you. Go ahead and kill me. But know this: Some day soon, some other dragon or dragons will put an end to your scheme, whatever it is."

"Those are some very touching last words, Elder." Bergan said, smirking. "It's a shame that it's all in vain."

Bergan's eyes glowed Purple as he unleashed a blast of Convexity….


	16. Act 3, Chapter 8

Act 3, Chapter 8

The morning came.

The time had finally arrived. The Light dragons would handle things in Glenhaven, while Elenar and the others confronted Bergan.

Hontus and Seraph left to go help Jules and Mimet keep the citizens organized. This was their job as Guardians. Spyro and Cynder were waiting for their four companions to say there farewells before they left for Mount Erebus.

On one side of the home, Albanion and Elza were locked in a deep embrace.

"Will you return safely?" The green dragoness asked. Her mate chuckled.

"Of course I will." Albanion said. "And when I return, we'll decide on the names for our children." Elza smiled.

"I have already decided on two."

"You have?" Albanion asked, interested.

"Yes. If any of them are males, then I want one of them to be named Argent."

"That sounds like a fair name." The male Deep Shadow said.

"And if any of them are females, I want one of them to be named Melanie."

"What do you want the third child to be name?" Albanion asked.

"I want _you_ to decide that." Elza answered. Her mate smiled.

"As you wish." He responded, kissing her.

On another side of the building, Aegis was hugging his daughter Tina goodbye.

"Take care of yourself while I'm away, Tina." The dark brown dragon said.

"When will you be back, Dad?" Tina asked.

"I don't know, but it'll be as soon as Bergan has been defeated. Until then, don't do anything that you'd regret later." His daughter smirked.

"Whatever you say, Dad."

Lastly, Urobos and Elenar took some time to speak to Rune, Cyrus and Tyrrany.

"Good luck, Mother, Grandfather." Rune said. "May the ancestors look after you."

"Thank you, Rune." Elenar said, smiling. "I'm certain they will."

"I still want to go with you to pummel Bergan!" Cyrus protested.

"It's not your place, Cyrus." Urobos responded. "It's better for you to stay in Glenhaven."

"But what about _me_?" Tyrrany asked. "He's my father, and the one who tricked me into wanting to kill mother. Doesn't that give me the right to confront him along with you?"

Elenar shook her head no. "It's better that you stay away from him. Who knows what he might say or do to manipulate you."

"I don't care!" The White dragoness protested. "Let me come with you!"

"Staying here is for your own good."

"But-"

"You're not coming. Please, just accept it." Tyrrany harrumphed, looking away from Elenar.

"Fine." Elenar frowned; Urobos, however, just chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Tyrrany asked, annoyed.

"You and Cyrus behave exactly the same." The old dragon answered.

"We do NOT!" Cyrus and Tyrrany exclaimed in unison. The two then glanced at each other awkwardly, while the other three dragons laughed. After they settled down, the dark grey dragoness spoke to her daughter again.

"It's for the best, Hope." Elenar said. "We don't want to see you getting hurt, especially just after having you finally brought into the family."

"I guess I understand." the White dragoness replied, disappointed.

…

After everyone had said there farewells, Urobos, Spyro, Cynder, Elenar, Albanion and Aegis met in the center of the front room.

"We need to get to the Pit of the Fallen in the shortest amount of time." Aegis stated. "How shall we go about doing so?"

"In my opinion," Albanion replied, "We should use a teleportation spell."

"That's a good idea, Albanion," Urobos said, "But executing it may be difficult."

"Why is that, Urobos?" Elenar asked.

"You see, the amount of Magical energy it takes to teleport relies on two factors: The size of the group teleporting, and the distance between the two points. Since there are six of us, and we'll need to travel across hundreds of miles, the spell will require a massive amount of energy. And since I'm the only one here with the Space element, it'll take far more energy than I possess. And even if you all were to lend me part of your energy, I would be hard pressed to get us into the Pit of the Fallen and still stay alive."

"Is there a way to cut some corners?" Albanion asked.

"Trying to find shortcuts in Magic is a foolish endeavor." Urobos scolded.

"Actually," Spyro said, raising a talon, "I think I see a way around this problem."

"I do as well." Cynder added.

"Care to enlighten us, then?" Aegis asked. Spyro started explaining.

"Urobos is correct in stating that teleporting directly into the Pit of the Fallen is nigh impossible for him to accomplish. And then there's the added potential complication that Bergan will be startled by our sudden appearance and attack us while we're still trying to pinpoint our exact location in the Pit." Cynder continued for him.

"Here's what we should do instead: We should teleport to an area just north of Warfang, and continue to the Pit via flight. It'll require a lot less energy, _and_ we'll be able to spy on Bergan to see what he's been planning to do there in the first place."

"I suppose that could work." Urobos replied. "However, even if it requires less energy than reaching Mount Erebus, it _still_ requires more energy than I can provide on my own."

"Well, we can provide you with extra energy if you need it, Urobos." Elenar said. Cynder shook her head.

"No, let Spyro and I provide the energy. The two of us have more than enough to spare."

"You three, on the other hand," The Purple dragon added, "will need as much power as you can reserve to confront Bergan, as well as any minions he may summon to fight us."

"A valid argument." Aegis remarked.

"In any case, we've dawdled enough." Urobos stated. "Gather together so I may cast the spell."

Without further ado, the six dragons banded together, and Urobos began casting the teleportation spell. Spyro and Cynder provided the Aged black dragon with any extra energy he may need. After a moment, the entire group vanished in a cloud of black smoke…

…

Little did any of them realize that Wraith and Elza had been spying on them, and waiting for them to leave. The male Deep Shadow scowled, taking a few steps forward.

"I don't care what they said: I'm going too."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Wraith?" Elza asked, concerned. "You could lose your occupation for defying the Queen's orders."

"Orders, Shmorders." Wraith responded. "I'm tired of being left on the sidelines while the others head out for a fight. I didn't become a Deep Shadow just to be a teacher my whole life. I want some excitement for once!"

"Didn't you get enough excitement four years ago?"

"Nope." Wraith sneered. "Once again, I had to sit back and let someone else do the fighting. But not **this** time! Whether they want me to go or not, I'm going to the Pit of the Fallen!"

"Me too!" Someone shouted, surprising the Deep Shadows. They turned to see prince Cyrus walk into the room, a scowl on his face.

"I'm not about to just sit back either!" the black dragon shouted.

"Your highness, yours is a different case than Wraith's." Elza said. "You're too young for this sort of battle."

"No I'm not!" Cyrus protested. "I'm not a little kid anymore! I may not be the strongest physically, but I'm a BLACK dragon! I can wield all twelve of the elements, as well as Concurrence. Plus, that Bergan asshole forced me into obeying him for a while. I deserve a chance to smack him around as much as anyone!"

"Your highness-"

"Save it!" Cyrus exclaimed angrily. "I'm going, and that's that!"

The two Deep Shadows sighed.

"Alright, you can come." Wraith said.

"Sweet!" the black dragon cheered.

"But, you have to do what I tell you when we arrive." Wraith added.

"I'm going too." Someone said. It was Tyrrany.

The White dragoness had been listening in as well, and walked into the room. Wraith sighed in contempt.

"Oh great, not you too…" He groaned.

"What?" Tyrrany demanded. "How come Cyrus can go to confront my father, but I _can't_?"

"Er…:"

"What? Are you going to say it's too dangerous for me? I can control all twelve elements as well, and even Convexity! If you two are going, then so am I!"

Wraith groaned again.

"At this rate, we might as well go ask any of the others if _they_ want to go as well." Elza grimaced.

"You're all going to get in severe trouble for this." the Deep Shadow said solemnly.

"And Mom's going to yell at you for letting us leave." Cyrus added. The green dragoness rolled her eyes.

"Enough yammering." Wraith exclaimed. "Let's just go find Rune, Nellie and those other two boys. What were their names again?"

"Flame and Arthur." Tyrrany answered.

"Whatever."

Wraith turned to walk down the hallway. Suddenly, Tina and the small green dragonfly came racing down the hall.

"Guys, guys, guys!" the dark yellow dragoness shouted frantically.

"What, what, what?" Wraith asked.

"What's wrong, Arthur?" Tyrrany asked.

"It's Rune, Nellie and Flame! They're gone!" the dragonfly shouted. All of the other dragons' eyes beamed in surprise.

"Say WHAT?" Cyrus exclaimed.

"What do you mean, 'they're gone'?" Elza demanded.

Arthur and Tina explained to them what happened.

…

Several Minutes earlier.

Rune, Nellie, Tina, Flame and Arthur were in the Rune's chamber. The Blue, dark Yellow and Red dragons and the dragonfly were having a cheerful conversation, while the Black dragon sat on the other side of the room.

"..So you two have known each other for nine years now?" Flame asked Nellie.

"Yeah." She answered. "And we've been dating for the last four."

"Four years?" Arthur asked.

"Uh-huh." Nellie said happily.

"And in that time you never got the urge to...well, you know.."

"Shut up!" Rune snapped angrily, startling the others.

"What?" Arthur asked. Rune suddenly changed his attitude.

"Uh, nothing, nevermind."

"Don't mind Rune." Tina said. "He's a bit of an oddball."

"Okay…" Flame said.

Rune still felt uncomfortable about what Runefor _almost_ did last night. Nellie didn't bring it up yet, and she didn't tell anyone else, but Rune had the feeling that she'd want to talk to him about it. The blue dragoness had been trying to get some time alone with him to do so, but Rune had been avoiding the subject all morning. To make matters worse, Runefor was still enraged that Rune managed to cock-block him.

_**I meant what I said, Rune**_, he sneered. _**I'm going to make Nellie SUFFER in ways you cannot imagine!**_

_Fuck no! _Rune snapped. _There's no way I'll letting that happen._

_**Big words, little action.**_

Rune started growl in his mind. By accident, he did the same thing _outside_ his mind. This got the attention of the others.

"Is something wrong, Rune?" Nellie asked, concerned. Rune stopped and looked away, embarrassed.

"Er, everything's fine." Rune responded.

"It doesn't _seem_ like it." Rune didn't respond.

"Is that normal for him?" Flame asked Nellie. She sighed.

"Well, it used to be, but then it stopped after the Malefor Ordeal came to an end. But he's been acting strange ever since last night."

"What happened last night?"

"**NOTHING**!" Rune exclaimed in rage. Flame and Arthur jumped at the outburst.

"Doesn't _sound_ like nothing." Arthur replied.

"Actually, he's right." Nellie responded. "Nothing happened between us."

Flame gave Nellie a curious look. "The way you say that, it almost sounds like you two were going to…"

"Please shut up." Rune said, scowling. Flame cocked an eyebrow.

"Now I'm even _more_ curious." Rune snarled.

"I said Shut up!" He shouted.

"Rune, calm down." Nellie said, getting up to approach the black dragon. Rune's anger simmered down a little.

"Nellie…"

"There's nothing to get mad about." Rune sighed.

"I guess you're right." Nellie turned to look at Flame.

"If you must know, Flame, we were going to, but then Rune changed his mind at the last minute."

"Why?" The red dragon asked.

"There's no need for a reason. I'll wait for Rune to decide that he's ready before we get intimate."

Suddenly a strange sensation came over Rune. As Nellie stood close to him, the black dragon couldn't help but let his eyes wander. Rune looked up and down the blue dragoness's body, from her pink horns to the end of her tail. He sighed.

Flame happened to notice this.

"Hey Nellie, your boyfriend's checking you out."

Rune jumped and stepped back, blushing.

"Uh.."

_**Imbecile.**_

Nellie turned around and faced him, giggling.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, silly." She said, smiling. "Here…"

The blue dragoness stepped forwards and hugged Rune. The black dragon returned the hug, smiling as well.

"Well, isn't _that_ cute?" Arthur asked, smirking.

"I kind of wish it was me and Anny." Flame added.

"I'd say 'get a room', if they weren't already in it." Tina remarked.

Rune and Nellie stayed in the embrace.

"I'm willing to wait for you, okay Rune?" Nellie asked him. "Whenever _you're_ ready, we'll step things up."

"Okay." Rune responded. "But that day is still far off."

After that remark, Runefor started to chuckle.

_**Heh heh heh heh heh…**_

_What?_

_**That day is sooner than you think, my friend!**_

All of a sudden, Rune felt the urge to pull Nellie closer to him, which he did.

"Huh?" Nellie asked. "Rune, what are you…?"

Rune suddenly shut his eyes and twitched violently, groaning in pain.

"What the?" Flame exclaimed.

"Rune, what's wrong?" Nellie asked.

When Rune stopped twitching, he chuckled, keeping his eyes closed.

"Say, Nellie?" He asked.

"What, Rune?" She asked, concerned.

"What do you say that today we go on a little trip?"

"Uh, why?" She asked, confused.

"It'd be nice to get some fresh air."

"Well, I guess it's okay. Where to?"

"Oh, I don't know.." Rune responded, still keeping his eyes closed. "Maybe the Grasslands, or somewhere in the Arcus Desert, or…" Rune opened his eyes and smirked. "..The Pit of the Fallen."

Flame and Arthur gasped. Rune's eyes were yellow, with demonic irises. Runefor had taken control once again.

_No! Not again!_

Nellie looked up at Runefor confused.

"Why would you want to go there?" Nellie asked. Runefor chuckled again.

"Let's just say there's someone I want to have a little.. _chat_ with, and YOU'RE coming along for the ride!"

Runefor snapped his talons, and a large purple mass of energy appeared behind Runefor, surprising the other teenagers. Runefor grabbed Nellie by the forepaw and forced her to come with her.

"Come along, Nellie!" He shouted gleefully.

"Rune, wait a minute!" She protested. "This isn't right!"

As Runefor and Nellie walked through the portal, Flame charged forwards.

"HOLD IT!" He shouted. The red dragon charged through the portal just before it closed up.

Arthur and Tina's mouths hung open in shock. All three of the other dragons had vanished.

"We've got to tell the others!" Tina exclaimed.

…

"And just like that, they were gone!" The dragonfly said, finishing the story. Wraith and Elza looked between each other.

"Do you really think they went to the Pit of the Fallen?" Elza asked.

"Can't say for sure." Wraith answered. "But if they did, we'd better hurry after them."

Cyrus sat in thought for a moment.

"What did you say Rune's eyes looked like again?" the black dragon asked. Arthur described them again. Cyrus gasped.

"What is it, Cy?" Tina asked.

"Malefor's essence…" He said.

"What?" Tyrrany asked.

Cyrus turned to face Wraith.

"We've got to get to Mount Erebus!" He exclaimed with urgency. "NOW!"

…

The Pit of the Fallen and the Mountain that encased it were silent as the grave. Bergan appeared on the platform before the pit in a cloud of purple smoke. He was soon followed by at least a dozen or so giant dragons of various elements. Half of them were carrying crates of Purple Gems, while the other half was equipped with mining equipment.

"Proceed to prepare the Gems for the ceremony." Bergan instructed. "And make as much haste as possible without going overboard."

The dragons grunted in obedience and got to work. Bergan grinned, and then turned to the other dragons.

"You all shall fly down to the Core and retrieve Bane's body." He commanded. "Take heart when you get down there: the spirits of ancient dragons will try their best to halt you, so use Space magic to teleport past them. And when you finally find Bane's body, make sure that he stays comatose: I don't want the Gluttonous one to take control until _after_ he's been brought to the surface."

These dragons grunted in obedience, and flew down into the pit. Bergan then stood back and watched as his minions set to work. He smiled with great pride.

"There won't be much time until all seven of us are united as one under our Master." He said. "Hmm, Elenar is no fool. It won't be long before she figures out where I am and what I'm planning. I'll no doubt succeed, but I still wish I could finish this even faster."

"Perhaps I can help you with that."

Bergan jumped in surprise. He glanced around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" He asked, slightly angered.

Suddenly, a portal of purple energy opened up near the exit to the platform. A young black dragon walked out of it, dragging a young blue dragoness by the forepaw.

"Rune, let go of me!" the dragoness protested.

"Hush up, Nellie!" the male snapped.

Bergan became intrigued

"What have we here?" The Purple dragon asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Prince Rune of Warfang?" There was something strange in the black dragon's voice when he spoke.

"Greetings, 'Benjamin'." Rune responded, grinning. "Or should I say 'Bergan'?"

"What brings **you** here, your highness?" Bergan asked. "And who might this be?"

Rune grabbed Nellie's neck, flipped her around in the air, and brought her down hard on her back between the Black and Purple dragons. The blue dragoness howled in pain.

"This little girl will become important in just a moment." Rune answered.

"Rune, what are you doing?" the dragoness exclaimed.

"SILENCE!" Rune snarled, slapping the girl across the face. She started crying.

"Oh my.." Bergan said.

"Don't worry about this girl just yet." Rune said, looking up at the Purple dragon. "Right now, I'd like to give offer you my help in making your plans go faster."

"And how are you going to go about doing that, your highness?" Bergan asked, his interest piqued. Rune chuckled.

"Let's make a deal."


	17. Act 3, Chapter 9

Act 3, Chapter 9

The six dragons came to a landing in a part of the Veros Outskirts to the north of Warfang. Immediately, Urobos collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Spyro, Cynder and Elenar ran to the old dragon's aid, helping him get onto his feet and giving him part of their energy to restore him.

"Are you alright, Urobos?" the Queen asked. The old dragon stood upright.

"I am fine." He said. "We shouldn't dawdle! We have to fly north to Mount Erebus immediately!"

The Six dragons spent a considerable amount of time flying north to reach the Mountains of Inferdus. They didn't know how much time they had left until Bergan put his machinations into action, so they had to arrive as Mount Erebus as soon as possible.

The whole time they flew, Elenar thought about her daughter Hope. The Queen understood that the White dragoness wanted to confront her father for lying to her for her entire life. However, Elenar knew that she and the others would most likely have to end Bergan's life. That was not something that Hope should bear witness to. She couldn't lie about Bergan's death either. Elenar sighed.

_I suppose this will be a matter for later_, she thought.

After flying for a considerable length of time across the Veros Outskirts, the Queen spotted something strange. Several blotches appeared in the distance. There were four in all: The two largest were Orange, one was Green, and the smallest was Pink.

_What in the world?_

When the six dragons got closer, Elenar could tell what the blotches of color were. The Queen gasped. They were four dragons. And not just any dragons. She didn't recall the pink one, but the Large Orange dragon was the Fire Guardian Voden, and the other two were Blank and Emerald, two of Rune's friends from Glenhaven.

"Do any of you see those dragons?" Elenar asked the others.

"What dragons, your highness?" Aegis asked.

"_I_ see them!" Urobos declared.

"I do as well." Cynder added.

"They appear to be in need of help!" Spyro exclaimed.

The six dragons flew down to where the Light dragons were. Voden was struggling to help the other three young dragons get up off the ground. The Fire Guardian was surprised to see Elenar and the others come to a landing.

"I don't know how or why you're all here," He said, "but thank the ancestors that you have!"

"How did you end up like this?" Spyro asked.

Voden explained to the Dark dragons how the Palace was taken to the Realm of Convexity, how the children were turned into Mindless Giants, and how Elder Telus sacrificed himself to rescue the three children and the Fire Guardian.

"After Bergan teleported us away, we found ourselves lying here in the middle of nowhere. I was able to regain my strength, but these three have been almost completely drained of their energy: They can't even speak, they're so tired."

"Are you trying to bring them to Warfang?" Albanion asked.

"Yes, but I've been struggling to get them to stand for even a minute." The dark dragons looked amongst themselves.

"Clearly he needs our aid." Aegis stated.

"Yes." Urobos agreed. "One of us should stay behind and help Voden bring the children to the city."

"But who should do it?" Albanion asked.

"Well, Elenar needs to go Mount Erebus to confront Bergan." Cynder stated. "Spyro and I need to go to convict him for his crimes. That leaves Urobos, Albanion and Aegis."

"Urobos is too old to be carrying teenagers around." Elenar stated. The old black dragon harumphed.

"I'm not _that_ feeble in strength." He remarked. The other dragons chuckled.

"In any case," Spyro said, "I believe that either Albanion or Aegis should aid Voden." The two Deep Shadows looked between each other.

"I volunteer to aid Voden." Aegis stated.

"Are you sure, Aegis?" Albanion asked. The dark brown dragon nodded.

"My ability to levitate beings and objects will make the children's transfer to Warfang be a simple accomplishment." He replied. "Go. I will handle things here."

The five other Dark Dragons nodded, said there farewells, and took off for Mount Erebus, while Aegis helped Voden take the exhausted teenagers to Warfang.

...

Wraith, Cyrus and Tyrrany teleported away to the Pit of the Fallen post haste. Instead of appearing directly inside the Pit chamber, the three dragons appeared just oufside the Magical Barrier around the Mountain.

When they stepped out of the portal, Wraith found that he was very tired. Even though the three dragons combined their Space Elements to make the spell easier on him, the Deep Shadow still required more magic than the other two, since he was an ordinary Dark dragon.

Wraith sat down on the ground, catching his breath.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.." He said, panting.

"Bullshit!" Tyrrany exclaimed. "I came to confront my Father, and that's what I'm going to do!"

"Yeah!' Cyrus added. "What she said!"

Once Wraith regained his breath, he got back up and turned towards the Magic Barrier.

"Care to do the honors, Prince Cyrus?" He asked.

"Got it!" The black dragon exclaimed.

"Hey!" Someone shouted.

Suddenly, a young red dragon ran up to the trio.

"Flame?" Tyrrany asked. "How did you end up out here?"

"As soon as I ran after Rune and Cyrus," Flame began, "I ended up getting hit in the face by this barrier and falling to the ground. I've been trying to find my way inside for a while now!"

"Well, you can only get in if you have the permission of a member of the Royal family," Cyrus stated. "i,e, ME!"

"Would that extend to include me?" Tyrrany asked. The black dragon scratched his head.

"Beats me."

"Well, let's find out, then." Wraith said.

Cyrus walked through the barrier wihtout any trouble, as was espected. When Tyrrany tried to walk through, she half-expected the barrier to bar her entry. However, the White dragoness found that she could pass through just fine.

"Hey, it worked!" She exclaimed.

"I guess the Queen put you into consideration when she created the Barrier." Wraith commented.

The Black and White dragons helped the other two dragons step through the Barrier, and then all four of them turned to face Mount Erebus. Even in its deformed state, the Mountain still cast an ominuous feeling with its very presence.

"This place is unbelievable..." Flame commented.

"I've never felt so small in my life." Tyrrany added.

Wraith turned and looked at the teenaged dragons.

"Are you kids ready for this?" He asked.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Flame said.

"Me too." Cyrus added.

Tyrrany took time to answer. In a way, she _wasn't_ ready.

The White dragoness hadn't seen her Father since she left Warfang for Glenhaven. Then, she was completely devouted to hunting down and killing her mother. She would have done anything to please her father. But now... Now she knew that her father was a lying monster, who had tricked her this whole time. Part of her wanted to get revenge on him for his deeds.

However, as much as she now hated her father, she still feared him. He was always far more powerful than she was. He always towered over he. And he had proven on more than capable of harming her severely. He had always held Tyrrany completely in his power.

Was she really ready to confront him?

"Anny?" Flame asked, tyring to get her attention.

'What?" She responded.

"Are you read?"

After one last moment of contemplation, she finally decided. She walked towards the Mountain, and spread her wings for flight.

"I'm ready."

...

The four dragons flew inside the front entrance to the caves of Mount Erebus. Some of the Mountain's inner passages still remained, even after the mountain was destroyed.

As they walked through the passages, the dragons gathered and used as many Red and Green Gems that they could find. In the meantime, Tyrrany started asking about the Mountain.

"How did this mountain end up like this anyway?" She queried.

"Do you remember when I mentioned Malefor's essence back in Glenhaven?" Cyrus replied.

"Yeah. What did you mean by that?"

Cyrus explained the massive battle that took place between Rune and Bane when both dragons were transformed into giant monsters. He spoke of how Bane destroyed almost the entire mountain just so he could absorb Malefor's essence out of Rune and save him. Of course, the King ended up sacrificing himself to keep Malefor's essence trapped within him.

"Bane did all of _that _to save Rune?" Flame exclaimed. "Wow. He must've been a great Father."

Cyrus sighed. "In some ways..."

Tyrrany looked down at the world below her glumly. Flame noticed this.

"What's wrong, Anny?" The White dragoness sighed.

"I wish i was able to live with Mother in The Hive.." She said. "It would've been nice to have known Bane and have a good Father figure..."

The others didn't know what to say to make Tyrrany feel better.

"This Bergan guy wasn't _that_ bad of a father, was he?" Wraith asked.

"Well..." Tyrrany began. "..I guess he wasn't a _terrible_ father. He was the one who taught me most of what I know about the world, and most of the time he treated me with respect and kindness."

"If that's true, how come you were always so bitter and angry?" Cyrus asked.

"Because everyone _else_ I knew in Faeshrine either treated me with indifference, or outright hostility. When I was younger, other children would bully me relentlessly. When I finally started gaining control over magic, I used my power to exact revenge on my old bullies. After that, I started acting agressive to get other children to leave me alone. Flame and Arthur were my only friends, but even _they_ weren't spared from my aggressive behavior."

Flame flew closer to her.

"But Arthur and I stuck by you through and through. We always knew you were a good dragoness deep down." Tyrrany smiled.

"Thank you, Flame."

...

Eventually, The four dragons came to the entrance to the Pit of the Fallen. When they looked around the Platform, they gasped.

They saw five massive Piles of Purple Gems arranged neatly in a Pentagram around the area. Three dragons were visible on the Platform: Rune, Nellie and Bergan.

The Blue dragoness was tied up in chains and lying on the platform floor, in the very center of the Pentagram, while Rune stood behind her, facing Bergan. The Purple dragon appeared to be filling Rune with a massive amount of purple energy: Convexity.

"No!" Wraith shouted. Immediately, he leapt into action.

The Deep Shadow vanished in a cloud of black smoke, and then reappeared standing at Bergan's side.

"WHAT?" Bergan shouted in surprise. Wraith swung his front left paw through the air to attack Bergan. The Purple dragon instantly appeared a good distance away, across the platform. As he did this, Rune fell the floor, and stayed there.

"My, what amazing speed!" He remarked, grinning.

"SHUT UP!" Wraith snapped, teleporting again. Bergan dodged out of the way a split second before Wraith slashed his throat. The Deep Shadow teleported once again, and the Purple dragon dodged again.

Soon, Wraith and Bergan were moving all across the Platform at lightning speed. Wraith continued attacking with a barrage of slashes and bites. All the while, Bergan dodged left and right, usually just missing Wraith's attacks by fractions of a second.

As the two adult dragons had at it, Tyrrany, Flame and Cyrus ran over to Nellie and Rune. Tyrrany and Flame worked to remove the chains around the blue dragoness, while Cyrus shook Rune to get him up.

...

"Rune, get up!" He exclaimed. Rune slowly entered conscioussness and looked up at his brother. Rune's eyes were his own.

"Cyrus?" He asked, getting up.

"Rune, you're alright!" His brother cheered.

The taller black dragon looked around, confused.

_The Pit of the Fallen? How did I end up here? All I remember is Runefor dragging Nellie through a portal, and then...it's all a blank._

Rune gasped.

_Nellie!_

He turned to face the blue dragoness. He was surprised to see Tyrrany and Flame unchaining her and helping her get onto her feet. Rune pushed past Cyrus and faced her.

"Nellie, are you okay?" He exclaimed.

When Nellie saw Rune approach, she stepped behind the White and Red dragons, fear on her face and tears welling in her eyes.

"Nellie?" Rune asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Stay away from me." She said, afraid.

"What?" When Rune stepped closer to her, Nellie took a step back again.

"Leave me alone.." She demanded, shivering. "I mean it."

Rune couldn't believe what he was hearing. The other young dragons couldn't either.

"What's gotten into you, Nellie?" Cyrus asked, perplexed.

"Yeah." Flame added. "I haven't known you long, but even **I **know this isn't normal for you!"

Nellie pointed a talon at Rune.

"That's not Rune." She said, still afraid. "That's a monster."

Rune couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why would Nellie call him that? And then, he knew what the problem was: Runefor. He must have done something to Nellie while Rune had blacked out.

_What did you do to her, you bastard?_, he shouted in his mind. He waited for his other self to make a nasty remark of comeback.

But it didn't come.

_Runefor? _He asked.

His mind was as silent as the grave.

_Where are you?_

Silence.

Rune became concerned. After sharing his mind for four years, he had grown to expect Runefor to always be there to taunt, insult, or torment him. It wasn't in his nature to remain silent when being addressed.

_Why isn't he...?_

Suddenly, Rune's train of thought was cut off when Bergan appeared between the five young dragons. He was smirking.

...

"Ah, so good of you to be back on your feet, your highness!" He greeted. He then looked around at the other young dragons.

"Well what do we have here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why, it's prince Cyrus, and young Flame, and.. my dear daughter Tyrrany, of all people!"

"Father..." The White dragoness said coldly. Bergan chuckled.

"It certainly is nice of you to show up on time, Tyrrany!" He said happily.

"What?" Cyrus asked. "'on time'?"

Suddenly, Wraith appeared to Bergan's left side. But he didn't stay there to attack. Instead, Wraith immediately teleported across the room to a random spot. He then did it again, appearing a few feet behind Bergan.

Soon, Wraith was teleporting allover the room, appearing on all sides at a rapid rate. Bergan looked all around himself, struggling to keep the Deep Shadow in his view.

"Hold still, why don't you?" Bergan exclaimed, getting annoyed.

"FINE!" Wraith screamed.

Suddenly, Wraith appeared on Bergan's right side, and then on his left side, and then on his right side again, slashing with his talons just as he reappeared. Wraith cut three deep gashes into the right side of the Bergan's face. The Purple dragon shouted in pain, suddenly appearing on the other side of the Platform and clutching his face.

"HA!" Wraith shouted, glaring triumphantly at his opponent. "I finally managed to HIT you!"

Bergan stood in place, using Water magic to heal his wound. The other dragons expected him to shout in rage. However, he let go of his face and started laughing.

"What's so funny!" Cyrus demanded.

"Congratulations, my good man." Bergan said, smiling. "You are the first person to actually inflict damage on me in a very long time! You must be a most skilled opponent indeed!"

" Gee, thanks." The Deep Shadow replied sarcastically.

"I am most serious." Bergan responded. "Elenar is such a fool to not use you to full effect!"

Wraith flinched.

"How do you know about…?"

"Well, I can tell by your robes that you are a Deep Shadow, one of Elenar's elite warriors." The Purple dragon answered. "I've seen what some of your companions have been assigned to do in the past, and it's just a shame that you've yet to reach your full potential."

"Full potential?"

Bergan started walking closer.

"Obviously you must be the most skilled Space dragon I've ever seen. You don't even need to take the time to cast the teleportation spell to use it. And considering how you're able to use it so rapidly, you are nigh unstoppable on the battlefield.

Wraith didn't know what to say.

"Are you serious?" He asked.

"Very."

"Wraith, don't let him butter you up like that!" Cyrus protested. "He's trying to get inside your head, or something!"

Bergan came to a stop a few yards away from the other dragons.

"Now why would I try something like _that_?" He asked. "This man.. Wraith was it?.. is far too intelligent to let such a amateurish attempt get to him."

Wraith didn't say anything.

Cyrus growled.

"Enough trying to distract us!" He exclaimed. "I'm sure you know why we're here!"

"Well, I know why Flame and Tyrrany are here.." Bergan replied. "But I can guess that the rest of you, prince Rune and his little blue friend excluded, are here to put a stop to whatever you think I'm doing. Am I correct?"

"What are you talking about?" Rune demanded. "Why are Nellie and I 'excluded'?"

"Have you forgotten already, your highness?" Began asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Forgotten what?" The Purple dragon sighed.

"Well, you _did_ warn me in advance that you wouldn't remember…"

"Start making sense!" Rune demanded. He looked over at Nellie. "Nellie, do you-?"

As soon as Rune looked at Nellie, the blue dragoness stepped away from him and next to Flame and Tyrrany, still afraid.

"Why are you acting like that, Nellie?" He asked.

"Stay away from me.."

"I do believe we're wasting time, aren't we?" Bergan said. "If it's a fight that you're all looking for, than I shall provide one for you." The Purple dragon took several steps back. "Flame, Tyrrany, you may wish to step to the side. This will become quite messy."

The Red and White dragons stepped forwards, growling. Bergan cocked an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"We're fighting, Father!" Tyrrany shouted. "And we're fighting **YOU**!"

"Consider this my resignation!" Flame added. Bergan scoffed.

"Still continuing the charade, are we?"

"Charade?" Wraith asked, confused.

"He's lying!" Flame snapped. Began sighed.

"Very well, then." The Purple dragon said, shaking his head. "Think of this as your last training exercise, then."

Once the Purple dragon was just in front of the exit, he raised a paw into the air. Most of the other dragons got prepared to fight, except for Nellie, who just stepped over to the far wall, for unknown reasons. Bergan smirked.

"Good Luck." Bergan snapped his talons.

Almost instantly, a massive green light exploded out of the Pit of the Fallen, surprising the other dragons. The Light rose high into the sky, piercing through the Magical Barrier over the mountain. Scores of spirits flew out of the Pit, some of which hovering over the Platform. Right before they hit the floor, the Spirits started transforming into Crepsculi.

"Holy shit!" Wraith shouted.

Immediately, the dragons leapt into battle, combating the Crepsculi. Bergan watched them fight, a smug grin on his face.

For a good while, the entire Platform was filled with slashing, clawing, roaring, hissing, and Magic exploding in and out of existence.

During the battle, Rune had summoned his sword, and started levitating to use it properly. He slashed and sliced through the countless Crepsculi that attacked him. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder what Runefor had done to Nellie.

_Why is she afraid of me now? And why won't Runefor speak to me?_

Rune decided that he'd have to find out.

The black dragon proceeded to fight his way over to Nellie. The Blue dragoness was struggling to fight back against a swarm of six of the monsters. Rune immediately flew over and decapitated each one. He then came to a landing next to Nellie.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Get away from me!" She shouted. "You're not Rune!"

"Of course I'm Rune!" He protested. "Why are you acting this way?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed. She attacked Rune with a blast of Water breath. He instinctively dodged out of the way, but his upper front right leg got hit, and he dropped his sword. The weapon was sent flying several yards across the floor.

He immediately chased after it, attacking any Crepsculi that tried to attack him along the way. When he got close enough, he made a grab for it. However, something unexpected happened.

A Crepsculi slashed him across the face as he was reaching for the sword, sending him falling to the right. The sword stayed beyond his reach.

_Crap!_

As Rune hit the floor, a few more Crepsculi attempted to tackle him. However, someone suddenly grabbed the sword off the ground and slashed through the monsters, killing them instantly. Rune looked up to see who it was: It was Tyrrany.

The White dragoness pulled her brother up off the floor.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah.' He replied. "Thanks."

…

Tyrrany was about to hand the sword back to Rune, but several more Crepsculi attacked, distracting them. After the monsters were slain, Rune saw that Nellie was having trouble again, and ran to aid her.

"Rune, wait!" Tyrrany exclaimed. "What about your sword?"

"Keep it for now!" Rune shouted back to her. "I can use my claws and Magic instead!"

Tyrrany looked down at the weapon. She pondered how to wield it.

_Hmm, I THINK I recall how Rune was using it…_

The White dragoness used her Memory element to make herself levitate above the ground. She then held the sword in her right forepaw, holding it at the ready.

_Yeah, that's feeling right.._

Tyrrany glanced around; Several Crepsculi were about to attack her again.

"Let's see how useful this thing is!" She shouted.

The dragoness flew into battle. She used the sword to great effect, slashing through her enemies with brutal speed and efficiency.

But as she battled, something strange started to happen. Her vision suddenly became blurry. The ground seemed to become covered in a dense purple fog. The Crepsculi she battled suddenly started getting blurrier. And some of them seemed to grow larger in size. But it didn't matter to her. She was fueled by adrenaline. The killing made her feel ALIVE.

Tyrrany didn't realize it, but she was becoming lost in the rage brought on by the battle. The rage of a White Dragon.

…

As the dragons battled the unending army of Crepsculi, Bergan used his Time element to appear on the other side of the room. While the others were distracted, he could enact his plans.

The Purple dragon stood at the edge of the Pit of the Fallen. He glanced behind himself. The intervening dragons were completely distracted by the Crepsculi. The five giant piles of Gems were ready. All that remained was the body of Bane…

Soon, about a dozen giant dragons flew out of the Pit of the fallen. They were working together to carry a giant, Cube-shaped Crystal. Inside the Crystal, trapped in a comatose state, was the Black dragon Bane. Bergan smirked.

Bergan took several steps back as the giant dragons placed the Crystal prison down on the Platform.

"Hello again, old friend." The Purple dragon said. Of course, Bane didn't answer.

Bergan turned around to face the fighting dragons. His daughter had become lost in a frenzy of rage, brought on by the never-ending hordes of monsters. A grin spread across his face.

"Perfect."

The Purple dragon looked up at the sky above the mountain.

"All I have to do _now_, is wait for the pieces to line up for the winning move."

…

As Elenar and the other dragons approached Mount Erebus, none of them could believe their eyes. A massive pillar of Green light was protruding out of Mount Erebus and extending high into the sky. Scores of spirits were flying around the Mountain out of control.

"What has Bergan done?" Urobos demanded.

"He's summoned scores of unclean spirits from the underworld!" Cynder declared.

Elenar immediately picked up the pace, flying straight for the opening in the top of Mount Erebus. The other four dragons flew after her.

As Elenar flew through the barrier and past the surrounding spirits, Elenar looked down at the Platform that was adjacent to the Pit of the Fallen. She gasped.

She spotted Bergan, standing before the massive Green light and a large Purple Crystal. But what made her gasp was the sight of Rune, Cyrus, and Tyrrany fighting back against a massive swarm of Crepsculi.

Elenar's four companions flew over to her, and spotted the young dragons as well.

"How did _they_ get here?" Albanion exclaimed.

"They must have teleported here individually to conserve magic." Spyro suggested.

Elenar gasped as at least a dozen Crepsculi started to gang up on Tyrrany. The Queen immediately flew down to the Platform.

"Elenar, wait!" Urobos shouted."

"I've got to help her!" Elenar screamed.

The dark grey dragoness flew down to the platform to aid her daughter. The whole time, Bergan had watched her. He didn't try to stop her. Instead, he grinned malevolently.

Bergan had planned for this all along.

…

The entire world seemed to change before Tyrrany's eyes. No longer was she floating just above the Platform floor. Instead, she was deep inside massive purple abyss, which extended on for miles in every direction. All around her, she was surrounded by monstrous black demons, which tried as best as they could to kill her.

But their efforts were futile.

Tyrrany had taken a liking to killing these beasts. No, she _loved_ it. The White dragoness swung her sword left and right, killing one demon after another. One by one, they faded into nothingness as the sword ripped through them.

Never before had Tyrrany felt this rush, not even when she mated with Flame. Adrenaline filled her veins, as if it had taken the place of her blood. She moved faster than she ever had before, slicing through demons before they could even dodge out of her way.

Tyrrany roared in delight. She had become an unstoppable killing machine.

Over time, the small demons she had been fighting started getting replaced by bigger ones. And then, _those_ demons were replaced by bigger ones as well. Soon, she was fighting demons that were her own size, and they came in droves.

But Tyrrany didn't care. They were nothing more than fodder to her…

After Tyrrany had battled countless black demons, she actually found herself getting bored. The monsters she was fighting were just to easy to kill. She wished for an opponent that was an actual challenge to kill.

And then, she got her wish.

High up in the abyss above Tyrrany, another black demon fell down to her level. The monster easily towered over the White dragoness. Its skin was so black, the White dragoness couldn't make out any features, with the exception of two fiery red eyes, filled with absolute rage.

When the demon came to a landing, it opened its mouth with a roar, which frightened the other demons away. The White grinned evilly.

Now _this_ would be a battle!

Tyrrany immediately charged at the giant demon, swinging her sword to attack it. However, the monster dodged her attacks, moving out of the way seconds before the sword could pierce its flesh. Enraged, Tyrrany started attacking harder and faster, swinging her sword like a Mad-drake.

As Tyrrany attacked, several smaller demons ran into her view; trying to stop her from killing their superior, possibly. Too enraged to waste anymore energy on weaker creatures, Tyrrany simply dodged around them, going after the giant. The larger demons still didn't try to strike back, which was odd.

After a massive amount of attacking and missing, Tyrrany grew frustrated. She wanted to kill this beast, and she'd find any way to do it! That's when the White dragoness realized something: She had forgotten about her magic! All this time, Tyrrany was having such a blast with the sword, she neglected to use her Magical abilities to obtain victory.

So, wasting no more time, Tyrrany opened her mouth and unleashed a mighty blast of Convexity breath. The Purple energy struck the Demon full blast, sending it flying out of the air and backwards several yards. As the beast crashed into the ground, Tyrrany flew forwards, quick as a flash. She readied her sword, swooped in close, and thrust the weapon forwards, stabbing it through the demon's exposed chest. As the demon howled in agony, Tyrrany used all of her might to send her sword all the way through the beast's torso, so that it pierced through the creature's back.

It was a killing blow.

Tyrrany let go of the sword hilt and landed on the ground. She then stepped away from the dying beast, breathing heavily. A grin of victory spread across the White dragoness's face. She looked into the monster's woe-filled red eyes…

And then, she gasped in horror.

All around her, the purple abyss was fading away, and the Platform of the Pit of the Fallen came back into view. The black demons she had been fighting were just Crepsculi. And the giant black monster she had just stabbed wasn't a monster at all. It was a dark grey dragoness.

"No…" Tyrrany said. "It can't be.."

The dark grey dragoness clutched her rapidly bleeding chest. Blood flowed out of her mouth as well.

"Hope…" The dark grey dragoness said, struggling to stay alive. "Why…?"

And then, the dragoness fell to the floor, her movements ceasing. She was dead.

Tyrrany fell to her knees, tears forming in her eyes.

"What have I done?" She asked herself.

Tyrrany had just killed Elenar.


	18. Act 3, Chapter 10

Act 3, Chapter 10

Moments ago…

The battle on the Platform seemed to be continuing indefinitely. For each Crepsculi that was slain, more took its place.

On one side of the battle, Wraith, Cyrus and Flame were working together to kill the relentless monsters. Cyrus used his Pain element to force the Crepsculi to fall to the ground, twitching in agony. While they were distracted, Flame used his Fire breath to burn them to ashes, while Wraith slashed at their throats.

Meanwhile, Rune was fighting Crepsculi on his own. He kept trying to get to Nellie, but the blue dragoness wouldn't stop fleeing from him. Sometimes, she even attacked the black dragon with blasts of Water or Ice breath.

"Stop running from me!" Rune protested, dodging out of the way of an Ice blast. "I'm trying to help you!"

"You're not Rune!" Nellie exclaimed, running away again.

Rune grimaced, chasing after her.

_Damnit, Runefor! What did you DO to her?_

As Rune struggled to get Nellie to stay an listen to him, the black dragon glanced around the room, looking for Tyrrany. The White dragoness was hovering above the floor, slashing Rune's longsword through the air with incredible agility. She killed so many Crepsculi that Rune couldn't even count them.

It was frightening, almost as if she was not a dragon, but a monster.

As the fighting commenced, Rune continued trying to get Nellie to give him a chance to speak to her.

"Stop chasing me!" She exclaimed. She attacked Rune with a blast of Water breath, which he evaded.

"Nellie, please!" Rune pleaded. "I don't understand why you're doing this!"

"I'm not falling for that!" the blue dragoness snapped. "You're an imposter! You're not-!"

Nellie was interrupted when a Crepsculi struck her across the back of the head, sending the blue dragoness falling to the floor yelping.

"NELLIE!" Rune exclaimed.

The black dragon immediately killed the attacking monster and its companions. He then reached down and grabbed Nellie's right foreleg to help her up.

"LET GO OF ME!" She screamed. Nellie swung her left forepaw and scratched Rune's face. The black dragon fell backwards, yelping and clutching his face.

"I was only trying to help you!" Rune protested, using his Water element to heal his face.

"LIAR!" Nellie shouted.

Rune couldn't stand this anymore. He started getting angry.

"Will you just **listen** to me for a minute?" He demanded.

"NO!" She snapped.

Rune growled, frightening her.

_I'll MAKE you listen!_

The black dragon charged forwards. Nellie turned to run away, but Rune used the Wind element to catch up, grab her tail, and forced her to turn around, sit on the floor, and face him. The blue dragoness fought to get up, but Rune was stronger than her. The black dragon grabbed Nellie's shoulders and forced her to look at him. She tried to attack him with Ice breath again, but he reached up and grabbed her mouth, forcing it shut.

"Stop trying to flee from me!" Rune snarled. "I just want to…!"

Rune looked into Nellie's eyes. They were filled with absolute fear. She believed that Rune was about to harm her, or worse. Tears rolled down her face. The black dragon frowned.

_What am I doing?_

Rune was about to let go of Nellie, when several Crepsculi appeared and attacked the two dragons. Rune was knocked onto his back, while Nellie fell to her side.

_Crap!_

Suddenly, before the Crepsculi could strike while Rune was down, Tyrrany came rampaging past, killing all of the monsters. Rune was startled.

"What the?" He exclaimed.

Rune watched as Tyrrany continued fighting the Crepsculi relentlessly.

"How is she doing that so fast?" He wondered out loud.

Suddenly, he realized that he had forgotten about Nellie. He turned to look at where she was, only to see that she had run off again. He sighed sadly.

_It's no use, is it?_

Looking back at Tyrrany, he saw that the White dragoness had become surrounded by a large swarm of Crepsculi. She was fighting them back fairly well, but she still looked like she could use some help.

Rune started running towards her, but then, he heard something coming from above.

A dark grey dragoness was plummeting out of the air, heading towards the swarm on the Platform. She was followed by four other dragons, who were doing their best to catch up. Rune was surprised and relieved. It was Elenar and the others.

"They're here!" He exclaimed.

Cyrus and the others noticed the arriving aid too. The shorter black dragon cheered.

Elenar came to a landing a short distance from the swarm of Crepsculi Tyrrany. The dark grey dragoness gave a mighty, rage-filled roar at the beasts, frightening them away. It looked liked the White would be rescued. But what happened next made everyone gasp in shock.

Tyrrany attacked Elenar.

…

As the White dragoness began her attack, Bergan turned to face the dozen giant dragons who had remained idle.

"Return to The Nexus and proceed with the next phase of the plan." He commanded.

Almost immediately, the giant dragons vanished in a Clouds of Purple smoke. Bergan turned back around to face the others. He smirked.

"Checkmate."

...

All of the other dragons watched the spectacle take place, barely believing that it was happening.

"What is she doing?" Albanion exclaimed, coming to a landing.

"Has she gone mad?" Urobos added.

Elenar had a look of horror on her face as she dodged away from Tyrrany's attacks.

"Hope, stop!" She pleaded, evading a sword slash. "Stop this!"

Tyrrany didn't answer. She just continued attacking, her gaze filled with rage.

"Anny, stop it!" Flame shouted. Tyrrany didn't even acknowledge his existence.

"YIELD!" Albanion screamed. The dark grey dragon ran forwards, intending to put a stop to the White dragoness's attacks. Wraith joined in as well.

The Two Deep Shadows dove for Tyrrany, trying to tackle her and pin her down. However, the White dragoness was too fast for them: She dove around them and continued attacking Elenar, the latter still pleading with her daughter.

The whole while, Rune couldn't believe that this was happening. He had believed that the conflict between Tyrrany and Elenar was finally resolved. But now…

_Was Runefor correct?_

Eventually, it seemed that Tyrrany's frustration had reached its zenith. The White dragoness seemed to stop attacking for a moment. Elenar sighed in relief.

"Hope, why did you-?"

Suddenly, Tyrrany opened her mouth and blasted Elenar with a beam of Convexity. The dark grey dragoness went flying backwards, howling in pain. Tyrrany then flew forwards, readying her sword..

"NO!" Rune and Cyrus shouted in unison.

But it was no use.

Tyrrany stabbed Elenar in the chest, running the sword all the way through so that the tip of the blade stuck out the older dragoness's back.

Tyrrany came to a landing and stepped back, breathing heavily with a triumphant grin on her face. Elenar clutched her bleeding chest, which bled profusely. Soon, The White dragoness's grin was replaced by a look of horror.

"No…It can't be.." She said wide-eyed.

"ELENAR!" Albanion, Urobos and Wraith screamed.

"Hope…" The Dying Queen said softly, her last amount of breath slipping away. "Why…?"

And then, she fell to the ground, her life force finally extinguished.

The Queen was dead.

…

Tyrrany stepped further away from Elenar's body as Rune and Cyrus ran up to the Queen, tears in their eyes.

"Mother, No!" Cyrus shouted. "You CAN'T be dead! Not like this! Not again!"

Rune didn't say anything. He only cried.

Tyrrany watched in disbelief as her two brothers wept for their fallen Mother.

"This can't be happening…" The White dragoness said. "How did she…She wasn't…"

Cyrus turned around to face Tyrrany, both rage and sorrow on the black dragon's face.

"HOW COULD YOU?" He screamed. The dragoness didn't know how to respond.

"I…"

And then, the many Crepsculi on the Platform suddenly vanished, and the sound of laughter and clapping filled the air. All of the other dragons looked to the front of the Platform. The sounds were coming from Bergan.

"YOU!" Spyro exclaimed, finally realizing the other Purple dragon was there. Bergan took a few steps forward.

"Congratulations, my dear Tyrrany." He said, smiling. "All of your hard work has finally paid off. The dragoness who abandoned you so long ago now lies dead at your feet. The plan worked like a charm."

"'Plan'?" Cyrus asked, enraged. He glared at Tyrrany. "WHAT Plan?"

"Oh, you mean you didn't know?" Bergan asked. "Allow me to elaborate: Tyrrany's goal was to get revenge on Elenar for abandoning her. After her fiasco in Warfang, I sent her to Glenhaven to find a way to get onto your family's good side. To speed things along, I tricked Elenar into going to Glenhaven so she and Tyrrany could finally meet. All it took to get into the Queen's heart was to stage a fight between the two dragonesses. After this, Tyrrany had a "chat" with Elenar, and pretended to finally resolve their issues. After that, all that had to be done was to find the right opportunity to kill the Queen."

Cyrus snarled at Tyrrany.

"You were tricking us this whole time?" He exclaimed.

"No!" Tyrrany responded. "Part of what he's saying is nothing but lies!"

"_Part_ of it?" Cyrus snapped, incredulous.

"Well, I **did** want to kill her at first, but that changed when Mother spoke to me!"

"So you admit it!"

"Bergan is lying!" Flame shouted. "He's trying to fool you!"

"Oh, there's no need to keep up the charade, Flame." Bergan said. "After all, Tyrrany has accomplished her goal You don't need to keep up appearances."

Cyrus, Albanion and the three aged dragons glared at Flame. The red dragon became afraid of them.

"You were planning this from the start, weren't you?" Albanion asked, enraged.

"No! We weren't!" Flame protested.

"Give the boy a break." Bergan said. "He was only told to be Tyrranys bodyguard." The Purple dragon glanced at his daughter. "By the way, dear: You should thank your brother Rune for helping you slay Elenar."

The other dragons gasped, looking over at the young black dragon in shock. Rune was shocked most of all.

"You HELPED her?" Albanion exclaimed, confused.

"No I didn't!" Rune snapped. He turned to glare at Bergan. "I didn't have any part in this!"

"Of course you did." Bergan replied, grinnning. "**You** were the one who provided Tyrrany with the sword."

Rune gasped. Bergan continued.

"You were ALSO the one who told me that Elenar and her entourage were coming to put a spot to my work in the first place."

The adult dragons had looks of shock on their faces.

"You offered to provide your assistance in dealing with them, in return for being let in on, and i quote, 'whatever schemes I'm planning'. And so far, you've held up your end of the bargain quite nicely."

Urobos looked at his gransdon coldly.

"Rune, is this true?"

"NO!" Rune protested. "He's lying! About me, AND about Tyrrany!"

"He's telling the truth." Someone on the other end of the platform said. Everyone turned to see who it was. It was Nellie.

"Nellie?" Rune asked, confused.

"Everything Bergan said about Rune is true." Nellie told the group sadly. "I saw and heard the whole thing. Rune was even the one who devised the method to be used to kill the Queen."

Tyrrany looked at Rune, surprised. "You..You MEANT for me to get your sword?"

"I'm sorry we couldn't tell you the whole plan, dear." Bergan said sadly. "We wanted you to finish Elenar off on your own."

Cyrus looked back and forth between Rune and Tyrrany. He didn't know what to think. Cynder, meanwhile, took several steps fowards, glaring at Bergan.

"You speak nothing but lies." She said. "You've manipulated thsese two into doing your dirty work."

"Not quite, Cynder." Bergan responded. "Rune and Tyrrany acted on their own. I had no desire to kill Elenar."

"What?" Spyro asked.

"I didn't care either way whether she lived or died. I just allowed Tyrrany to do as she wished. It didn't matter to me: As long as she fufilled her ultimate destiny."

"What are you talking about?" Tyrrany demanded. Bergan grinned.

"I could tell you all, but there's something I must attend to first." The Purple dragon turned to face Rune, who snarled. "I never finished fufilling MY end of our deal, now did I?"

"What?" Rune snapped. Bergan lifted one of his forepaws into the air and snapped his talons. Suddenly, Rune's body became engulfed in a purple fog, and the black dragon twitched in agony.

"RUNE!" Cyrus exclaimed in shock.

"What is he doing?" Albanion demanded.

Spyro, Cynder and Urobos tried running up to Rune to lend him their aid, but all three of the aged dragons were forced back. Rune howled in pain as he fell to the floor.

"You see," Bergan began, "Prince Rune _did_ strike a bargain with me. But it wasn't _this_ Rune. Oh no, it was a DIFFERENT Rune, a more formidabble one."

After a moment, Rune got back up onto his feet. His eyes were shut.

"Rune..?" Urobos asked.

Rune started to chuckle to myself. And then, the chuckle grew into a loud laught. He opened his eyes. They were yellow an Demonic: The same eyes as Malefor.

The other dragons jumped back in surprise.

"Remember me?" Rune asked, gleaming evilly.

"Those eyes..." Spyro said, stunned.

"Impossible!" Cynder declared. "Malefor's essence was completely drained out of Rune when Bane defeated him!"

"True." Rune said. "But, who's to say that a small part of it didn't remain inside me, and is being augmented by Bergan's Convexity?" Cynder became confused.

"You're _aware_ that this isn't you?"

Rune turned around and walked towards Bergan, talking back to the Black Dragoness the whole while.

"Oh, I know that the power is from another source. It's just so enjoyable to use it!"

"Get away from that man, Rune!" Urobos pleaded. "He's corrupting you!"

"Actually," Bergan responded, "Prince Rune is acting of his own accord, just as he did four years ago during the 'Malefor Ordeal', as you call it."

When Rune was a few yards in front of Bergan, the Black dragon turned and faced the others.

"Enough chatter." Rune said, raising a forepaw towards the other dragons. "We have work to do."

Suddenly, a massive Purple Cyclone erupted out of Rune's paw, striking the others. Almost all of the other dragons were forced to the back of the Platform. The only exceptions were Tyrrany, Nellie, and Elenar's body. Before the other adults could charge back over, Rune summoned a massive wall of Purple fire in front of them, blocking their path.

"Sorry!" Rune snickered. "You'll have to go the _long_ way around!"

Despite this hinderence for the others, however, Wraith and Urobos managed to teleport onto the other side of the Wall.

"You guys go around!" The young Deep Shadow yelled to the others.

"What ahout you two?" Spyro demanded.

"We'll do our best to stop them while you catch up!" Urobos answered. The Aged Purple dragon sighed.

"Good luck."

And with that, the other dragons turned to flee the passageways, so that they fly out and over the Mountain to return to the Platform.

As Wraith and Urobos turned to face Bergan and Rune, the Purple dragon chuckled.

"It's only expected that YOU two would make it past the barrier."

Tyrrany got up and faced her father, growling and charging towards Bergan. Rune suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. The black dragon struck her multiple times in the face, grabber her by the neck, and tossed her across the platform and against the wall.

"Sorry, dear sister," Rune chided, "But its time for you to stand aside." Rune then turned his gaze to Nellie, who was cowering on the other side of the Platform. He grinned.

"And now for _you_." He said.

Urobos noticed Rune's gaze, and made an attempt to reach Nellie first. However, the younger black dragon instantly teleported to the Blue dragoness, grabbed her by the throat, and teleported with her back to the other side of the Platform.

Nellie kicked and screamed in his grip.

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Rune shouted. He struck Nellie in the back of the neck, tossed her unconcsiouss body on top of Tyrrany, and glanced at the Purple dragon. "Bergan, get going with the ritual already! I'll handle these interlopers, like I promised."

Bergan nodded. "Of course."

Rune then turned and attacked Wraith and Urobos. The two adult dark dragons dodged most of his attacks, not wanting to fight back.

"Just who are you planning to revive, anyway, Bergan?" Wraith demanded. The Purple dragon didn't answer. Instead, he turned around to face the Large Crystal and the Green light beyond.

"Bergan?" Wraith bellowed.

The Purple dragon removed the black stockin on his BioCybernetic arm and used the metal talons to pierce through the Cystal. At first, several cracks appeared in the Crystal, which started spreading rapidly.

"What are you doing?" Urobos demanded, evading a blow from Rune.

"What does it look like?" Bergan asked. "I'm freeing Malefor from his prison."

"What?"

Suddenly, the Purple Crystal exploded, sending Crystal fragments falling allover the place. Bane's unconsciouss form fell to the platform floor. Bergan grinned.

"He will awaken in a few moments." He said. "For now, I'll summon the others."

"Others?" Tyrrany asked, weakly. Bergan chuckled.

"The other five Victiumirti."

"The what?"

Bergan turned extended his left forepaw out towards the Mighty Green light and the many spirits flying out of it. His eyes glowed Purple as he began speaking.

"Over the many Centuries since the creation of our world, there have been dragons with the ability to wield multiple elements at once: The Purple Dragons. Each and every one of them had a common destiny: To bring about a point in time known as The Great Cleansing. Most of these dragons failed to even come close..."

Suddenly, a great rumbling came out of the Pit. Something was coming out.

"...However, there were some dragons, some Purple, others White, who almost succeeded. Each of these dragons once had great potential and respect. Alas, each one of them mysteriously turned to the side of evil and Malevolence for seemingly no reason. Some would say that I am the same."

Bergan turned to face the others.

"Now, do any of you know why they became corrupt?"

"They chose the paths they took." Urobos stated. "They became evil of their own accord. What other reason is there?"

Bergan scoffed.

"You are incorrect, Urobos."

"What?"

"The dragons became corrupted by something far stronger than any of them. An entity more powerful than anything you'd find in the Living Realm. This entity possessed them, and worked _through_ them to bring about it's ultimate goal. At first, I was slowly being corrupted as well. However, I was different than the others."

"What do you mean?" Wraith demanded.

"Unlike the dragons who came before me, I saw the signs hidden in history. I realized that there was a pattern to the dragons' corruption. And then, I found the Entity that corrupted them."

Bergan smirked as he told them what it was.

"I found, The Nothing."

...

Albanion, Spyro, Cynder, Cyrus and Flame flew out of the Entrance to Mount Erebus. They all immediately flew upwards towards the top of Mount Erebus. When they saw the top, they were awestruck.

High above the Mountain, the Magical Barrier had vanished. The Green Light of the Pit extended high into the sky. Far abave the Mountain, a Massibe Purple portal opened up. A giant Building flew out of it and hovered over the mountain in the Green Light. It was the Glenhaven Palace.

"What's happening?" Cyrus exclaimed

"I don' know.." Cynder said. "But we must aid Urobos immediately."

...

"The Nothing?" Urobos repeated. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"That's not unexpected." Bergan replied. "I'm the first dragon in history to discover it."

Bergan turned back around. Whatever was coming out of the Pit was getting closer.

"When I did, The Nothing told me what it planned to do, and how it worked through many Purple and white dragons before me to enact it. I learned of the six others who nearly succeeded, and began formulating my plans."

"Plan to do what?"

"Bring about the Real Great Cleansing."

Wraith and Urobos gasped. "No..."

"I would have tried to do it myself, but I realized that I'd nead aid. The other Six dragons were each successful in different ways. So, naturally, I decided that I'd need their assistance. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I put the Curse of Runileon the Wicked to good use."

"You most certainly did..." Rune mumbled.

Suddenly, several giant Purple and White spirits burst out of the Pit and spun around in the air, startling most of the dragons on the Platform, except for Bergan and Rune. The Purple dragon chuckled.

"They've arrived."

Bergan shot his Left forepaw out, firing a mighty blast of Convexity at the five giant piles of Gems, causing them to glow wildly.

"Behold!" He began. "The Victiumirti have returned to the Living Realm!"

One by one, the spirits combined with the Piles of Gems. And one by one, the Spirits turned into dragons.

Urobos and Wraith stood in amazement as the dragons appeared around them. Bergan approached the one nearest to him: A large, male Purple dragon. The dragon had a black underbelly and Golden Talons. He had seven black horns and an array of sharp spikes that ran down his back and to his tail tip. And he had Red eyes, with demonic Irises.

"Arise, Lucrun," Bergan said, "Victiumirtus of Greed."

The Purple dragon slowly woke up, got onto his feet, and looked at Bergan with great interest. When he spoke, his voice was earthly, but had a strange metallic feel to it.

"Who are you?" Lucrun asked. Bergan grinned.

"I am an ally." He responded.

One by one, the other four Victiumirti got up onto their feet:

Desysto, of Sloth.

Amouris, of Lust.

Adpetis, of Envy.

And Runileon, of Wrath.

When the latter dragon spotted Urobos, he growled with rage.

"You..." He snarled. Urobos glared, ready to attack.

"So we meet again." The aged black dragon responded.

Runileon was about to attack, but Bergan stopped him.

"Save your energy, Runileon." He said, placing a paw on the White dragon's shoulder. Runileon snarled at the Purple dragon.

"Who do you think you are to command ME?" He bellowed.

"I am the one who brought you back to life." Bergan responded coldly. "And if you, or any of the rest of you, wish to achieve your destiny, you will do as I say, for now."

The Victiumirti looked around at each other.

"I don't know about the rest of you.." Lucrun said "..But I'm willing to give this stranger the time to explain what he wants."

Most of the others agreed. Bergan grinned.

"Splendid." He turned and walked over to the still-unconsciouss body of Bane.

"Now, I have brought all of you back for a single reason: The Great Cleansing. Each and every one of you has tried different methods to make it commense, be it Ethnic Cleansing, or The Destroyer, or some other method. All of you almost succeeded, but there was always someone there to thwart you."

The Victiumirti looked amongst themselves, stonefaced.

"Now, I'm not about to berate you for past failures. That would be counter-productive. Instead, I've brought you all together so that we may work together to make The Great Cleansing a reality. The more of us there are trying to make it happen, the harder it will be for interlopers to stop any of us."

"That is a perfect strategy." Desysto declared. "Consider me your accomplice, stranger."

"My name is Bergan."

"Alright, Bergan."

As the other Victiumirti sounded their agreement, Urobos and Wraith stepped back.

"This can't be good..." The Deep Shadow whispered.

"Aye." Urobos agreed. "We must tell the others immediately."

"What do we do about THEM?" Runileon asked, referring to the Dark dragons.

"Let them flee if they try." Bergan commanded. "They'll be dealt with soon enough." The Prideful Purple dragon lifted Bane's body and struck it with a blast of Convexity. The black dragon twitched wildly, slowly coming to consciusness.

"Awaken, my friend." Bergan said. "Return to power..."

Bane slowly opened his eyes. But they weren't _his_ eyes. They were the eyes of the Dragon whose essence filled the black dragon: Malefor. The evil dragon had taken control of Bane's body.

As the evil Dragon got onto his feet, his body changed in appearance. His hide changed from Black to Purple. Several Large Horns appeared on his head: The same horns he had on his original body. His build became more muscular, and his Grey mane and beard receded into his body. Malefor had changed Bane's body to match his original form.

"Welcome back, Malefor." Bergan said, grinning. The Other Purple dragon looked him over.

"Who are you?" He asked with his bizarre, otherworldy voice.

"I am known as Bergan. I am an ally, as are these other five dragons." Bergan answered, motioning to the other Victiumirti. "Come with us, and you'll achieve your Destiny."

Malefor gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean?"

"The Great Cleansing." Bergan answered.

Malefor looked at Bergan for a moment. "You would aid me bring it about?"

"Actually, we would aid each other," Bergan replied, "But basically, yes."

Malefor was silent for a moment.

"...I shall agree, for now." Bergan chuckled. He then turned to look at Nellie and Tyrrany, who hadn't moved in all this time. He grinned as he approached them.

Suddenly, Rune appeared Bergan and the two girls, surprising the purple dragon.

"What are you doing?" Bergan demanded. "Out of my way!"

"I'm afraid this is where my servitude comes to an end." Rune replied. "I'm done with you."

"What?" Bergan asked, enraged.

Rune suddenly roared, somehow causing a mighty pillar of Purple Energy to erupt from beneath him, surprising everone else. When it faded away, Rune's appearance had changed.

His hide became White, and his underbelly was blood Red. His four lower horns became broader and longer, and three more horns appeared around his other two. His Birthmarks changed from Blue to Red in color. His eyes, however, stayed the same: Yellow and demonic.

Bergan was surprised: he hadn't expected this.

"You believed that Tyrrany was the one born of the Curse." Rune remarked. "You were wrong."

"It was YOU?" Bergan asked, bewildered. Rune smirked, snapping his talons. Intantly, Tyrrany vanished in a cloud of Purple smoke, much to Bergan's shocked.

"Good luck finding her.." Rune said. The young White dragon then walked over to Nellie and grabbed her by the neck. "I'll be taking _this_ one with me."

"Rune, wait!" Urobos called to him. Rune didn't listen. The young White dragon snapped his talons again, and he and Nellie vanished in another cloud of Purple smoke. As he left, his voice could be heard saying one last thing.

"Farewell, Bergan. We'll meet again soon."

And then, he was gone.

Bergan was furious. For the first time, someone had managed to deal a massive blow to his plans. He had planned to get both Rune and Tyrrany under his power, but now he had neither. In his rage, he punched the wall with his BioCybernetic arm, breaking a chunk of the stone away. He then calmed himself down, regaining his composure.

"This is only a minor setback." He said to himself. He turned and looked at the other six.

"Alright, listen well." He began. "I shall take most of you with me to the Realm of Convexity, where our Army is waiting for us. Runileon, since you are well aquainted with Urobos, you shall stay behind and deal with him and his allies how you see fit." The White dragon grinned with malevolence.

"Gladly."

"Alright then."

Bergan stepped between the other Victiumirti. He summoned a massive amount of a strange Black-and-White energy, which engulfed the group. In a moment, they were gone. Only Runileon remained.

The Great White dragon glared at the Aged Black dragon.

"This is where I get my revenge!"

Runileon leapt fowards, firing a blast of Convexity form his broad maw. Urobos and Wraith took to flight immediately, dodging out of the way.

As Urobos flew away, he held his paw out at Elenar's body, which still lied on the floor, with the longsword rammed through her chest. He made the sword vanish in a cloud of black smoke, and then reappear in his grip. He sighed in sadness.

_Elenar..._

...

As Spyro, Cynder and the others suddenly heard the sounds of a struggle from the Pit of the Fallen. Three dragons flew out of the Pit and towards them. The first two were Urobos and Wraith. The third, however, was a strange White dragon.

"Who's that?" Albanion asked.

"I don't know." Spyro replied.

Urobos and Wraith flew right past the others.

"FLEE!" Urobos bellowed. "NONE OF US ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO FACE RUNILEON!"

"Runileon?" Cynder asked.

The great White dragon came to a stop in the air before the other dragons. He glanced over the dragons before him. He was most interested in Spyro

"Well, what have we here?" He sneered. "Another Purple dragon. Tell me, are you working alongside Bergan as well?"

"Certainly not!" Spyro snapped.

"Then PERISH!"

Runileon attacked with a blast of Convexity. Spyro and Cynder attacked with blasts of their own. To their surprise, Runileon's attack was slowly overpowering theirs. To give the two dragons some aid, Wraith and Albanion flew around and struck the sides of Runileon's face with their talons. As Runileon roared in pain, Spyro and Cynder's Convexity beams stuck the White dragon full force, sending him plummiting to the world below.

Urobos was amazed.

"He must not be as strong as he was the last time." He commented. "But he's just as gung-ho as he used to be." He sighed in relief.

However, Runileon soon came flying up into the air, roaring in rage. He immediately went after the first two dragons he saw: Albanion and Wraith. The two Deep Shadows flew down to fight him, roaring as well.

"Stop, you fools!" Urobos exclaimed, flying after them. Spyro and Cynder followed suit.

Flame and Cyrus watched in amazement as the five dragons attacked the Great White one. By all accounts, the Urobos and the others should have been able to overpower Runileon easily. However, The Great White dragon was larger, stronger, faster, and, apparently, more powerful than the others. He struck Wraith across the back of the head, knocking him unconsciouss in midair. As Wraith plummeted, Cynder flew down to aid him, leaving Urobos, Spyro and Albanion to hold Runileon off.

"We should help them!" Cyrus shouted to Flame.

"Are you crazy?" the red dragon snapped. "Look at that guy! He's a fucking MONSTER!"

"I don't care!" The youg black dragon replied. "They need all the help they can get!"

And with that, Cyrus flew down to where the others were fighting. Flame sighed.

As Cyrus approached, he spotted a golden opportunity: Runileon wasn't looking above him. So, the young black dragon flew directly downwards, unleashing a blast of Concurrence. The Black energy blast struck Runileon across his head, distracting him. Cyrus hoped that the others would use this tme to attack Runileon. However, they were too shocked by the fact the attack happened at all.

Runileon looked above him at Cyrus. He was gasped.

"Uh-oh."

The Great White dragon immediately flew after the young black dragon, roaring furiously. Cyrus tried to flee, but he was no match for Runileon's speed.

"CYRUS!"Urobos exclaimed. He, Spyro and Albanion immediately flew to the young black dragon's aid.

Runileon quickely overcame Cyrus, grabbing the smaller dragon's neck. However, just before he could crush Cyrus's throat, Albanion slashed at the Great White dragon's sides.

Runileon roard in pain, letting go of the young dragon and going after the Deep Shadow. Urobos caught Cyrus before the young black dragon could fall too far, while Spyro rushed past them to aid Albanion.

"What were you thinking, Cyrus?" Urobos asked. Cyrus could barely speak.

"I..wanted..to help.." He said weakly.

"You're far from strong enough." Urobos scolded.

"But..I.." Cyrus couldn't finish his sentence. He had slipped into unconcsiousness. The aged Black dragon sighed.

"I need to get you and that Flame boy away from this fight." Urobos looked over at Flame, who was flying up to them.

"Is he okay?" the red dragon asked.

"He'll need to recover." Urobos replied. The aged black dragon looked up at the three dragons locked in combat, and then down at Cynder and Wraith. The Black Dragoness was flying up to meet the other three, Wraith carried in her forelegs.

"Is he alright?" Urobos asked her.

"He's weakened, but he'll live." Cynder replied.

"Good." Urobos looked back up at the battling dragons above them. "We can't keep fighting like this. We have to retreat."

"But where?" Flame asked.

Urobos didn't have an answer.

Suddenly, the sound of a great explosion of Energy filled the air. The dragons all looked up, and gasped in shock.

"ALBANION!" Urobos exclaimed in horror.

...

Albanion and Spyro continued attacking Runileon, the former slashing at the Great White dragon, and the latter striking with Convexity blasts. Despite their best efforts, they could barely deal much damage to the Runileon.

Runileon flew up even higher into the air. He then glared down at the two other dragons as they charged up after him. He grinned evilly. The Great White dragon started glowing with energy.

Spyro gasped, ending his chase on a dime.

"Albanion, stop!" The Purple dragon shouted. "Get away from him!"

But Albanion didn't heed his warning. The Deep Shadow charged towards his White opponent, lost in anger. As Albanion made an attempt to slice at Runileon's throat, the Great White dragon unleashed a massive amoung of Magical Energy on all sides. It was a Convexity Fury.

Albanion screamed in agony as he was hit point blank by the attack. The Purple energy tore right through the dark grey dragon as he plummeted out of the sky, hurtling right past the other dragons and towards the ground far below.

...

Spyro immediately flew after the falling Deep Shadow, rushing past the other dragons in his haste. Urobos, Flame and Cynder followed suit.

The Purple dragon managed to get underneath Albanion and catch the Deep Shadow before he hit the ground. The other dragons caught up with Spyro and examined the Deep Shadow.

Albanion's body was covered in bleeding wounds. His horns were broken. His Grey set of Robes was reduced to a giant, tattered, bloody rag. Blood flowed from his mouth like a waterfall. He was barely breathing.

"By the ancestors!" Flame shouted.

Far above the dragons, Runileon stood watch. The Great White Dragon laughed at the sight of the weakened Deep Shadow.

"Who will be the next one to die?" He bellowed.

"Damn you, Runileon!" Cynder exclaimed. The Great White dragon only laughed more.

Suddenly, something made the Great White dragon stop laughing.

High above Mount Erebus, and just below the Floating Palace, a massive Purple Portal appeared. And out of that Portal came hundreds of Giant Dragons. Scores of the dragons, both of Light and Dark origin, swarmed around the Mountain.

Runileon laughed even louder at the sight of them.

"So **that** is the army that Bergan spoke of!" He exclaimed with glee.

Urobos and the others stood in horror.

"So _that _what became of the children that Bergan captured..." Spyro said, awestruck.

Several dozen giant dragons flew around Runileon, grinning. He pointed down to Urobos and the others.

"Hear me now, my new minions!" He bellowed. "Go, kill those pathetic piles of Feces!"

Immediately, all of the giant dragons charged after the Urobos and the others.

"FLEE!" The old dragon exclaimed.

Urobos, Flame, Spyro and Cynder flew off as fast as they could with the badly-damaged companions in their forelegs. Alas, they were hopelessly outmatched by the army of giants chasing after them. Soon, Urobos and the others were completely surrounded by the beasts, who flew around them, trapping them all.

"We cannot fight like this!" Cynder shouted.

"Then we're doomed." Urobos remarked sadly.

"No.." Flame said. "What about the others?"

"We can't help them now." Spyro said sadly.

The group got close together, each one of them shutting their eyes. There was no escape now.

The giant dragons made their move to attack. Just before they struck, Flame had one last thought in his head.

_Tyrrany..._

All of the Giants unleashed their elemental Blasts all at once upon the small group...

...a split-second later, all of the elemental attacks struck each other. Their intended targets had suddenly vanished. The army of giant dragons became confused.

Runileon flew up to the giant dragons.

"Out of the way!" He demanded, shooing his minions away. Sure enough, Urobos and the others around him were gone. All that seemed to remain of their presence was trace amounts of Purple smoke, which faded into nothingness. Runileon snarled.

"DAMNATION!" He bellowed, striking one of the giant dragons out of rage. "They've teleported away! But where to ?"

...

Urobos and the others opened their eyes. They didn't know what happened. A moment ago, they were about to be slain by a massive barrage of elemental breath attacks. Suddenly, a purple cloud of smoke instantly engulfed them. And now, they found themselves standing in the middle of a bizarre, temple-like room.

"Where are we?" Flame asked. The three aged dragons gasped in amazement.

"We're..." Spyro said, bewildered.

"We're in the White Isle?" Cynder asked.

"How did we end up here?" Urobos added. "I certainly couldn't have teleported us _this_ far from Mount Erebus!"

Suddenly, a wooden door opened up on the far side of the room. An aged, Teal-hided dragon stepped out to see them. It was the Chronicler.

"Ignitus!" Urobos exclaimed.

"Greetings, Urobos.." He replied. "I knew that all of you would arrive here."

"Are you the one who teleported us here?" Spyro asked. Ignitus shook his head.

"I'm afraid I do not possess the that ability."

"Then how did we..?" Cynder asked.

"I cannot say. But that is a matter for later." Ignitus looked between the three weakened dragons. "For now, those three need to be tended to."

...

As Cyrus slept, he a snarl of memories filled his mind. The entire day's events played over and over in his mind, from his decision to go to the Pit of the Fallen, to falling asleep in his grandfather's forelegs.

He was deep in despair.

_Mother's gone..._ he thought sadly. _Gone, again...Because of that white BITCH who killed her! I KNEW she shouldn't have been forgiven so easilly! I'll bet she was planning this all along!_

_And Rune... I can't believe it! Rune's evil self still existed, after all this time! He even HELPED Tyrrany kill our mother! How could he? After all we went through to bring her back the first time? After finally being together as a family again? WHY?_

"Cyrus." Someone said.

_Huh?_

"Wake up, Cyrus."

The young black dragon slowly woke up. He looked up to see Cynder looking down at him.

"..Cynder?"

"How are you feeling, little one?" She asked. Cyrus got up onto his feet.

"Well, I'm a little stiff," He answered, "but otherwise I'm fine. My neck doesn't hurt anymore." Cynder smiled.

"That's good."

Cyrus looked around. He was in a strange, circular room. A massive array of bookshelves dotted the walls. A giganting, Hourglass-like device stood in the center of the room.

"Where are we?" He asked. "Where's Grandfather and the others?"

"We're in a place called the White Isle." Cynder answered. "And the others are in the next room."

"How long was I unconcious?"

"A couple of hours."

Cyrus walked towards the door to the next room.

"I'm going to see Grandfather." The young black dragon said to the Black dragoness.

"As you wish, little one."

Cyrus stepped into the next room, Cynder following close behind. Wraith and Flame were standing on the left side of the room, by a large Green-lined door. The Deep Shadow was sitting on the floor, clutching his neck and groaning.

"Wraith!" Cyrus shouted, running up to his tutor. "You're alright!"

The Dark Red Deep Shadow snickered.

"About as alright as I _can_ be," He remarked, "Alby, on the other hand.."

"What?" Cyrus asked. Wraith pointed to the other side of the room.

Spyro, Urobos, and a third, Teal-colored dragon he didn't recognize were standing over the body of Albanion. Urobos was using every bit of Pain and Water magic he could to heal Albanion's wounds, while the Teal dragon frowned at the sight. Cyrus gasped in horror.

"NO!" He shouted, running over to stand next to his grandfather. Urobos's efforts didn't seem to be helping.

"It's.. no use.." Albanion said weakly. "I'm..to far gone for.. you to heal me..."

"Nonsense!" Urobos responded, frantic. "I won't have you dying at such a young age!"

Albanion chuckled weakly. "Young age...Look at me...I wasted so many years waiting...when I should have started a ...family with Elza sooner...And now...when I finally start one...I am unable to see it grow..."

"Of course you'll see it grow!" Urobos snapped. "Don't give up on life so soon!"

"Give it a rest, Urobos..." Albanion sighed. "I made a foolish mistake...and this is my punishment.."

"Death is not a punishment." Ignitus said. "It is only an inevitable part of a dragon's existance."

"Say what you will..." Albanion looked back at Cyrus. "It has been an honor to serve you...your highness..."

Tears welled in the young dragon's eyes.

"You've been a great guardian." He responded. Albanion smiled.

"Thank you.." The deep shadow looked over at Wraith. "Wraith.." The Dark Red dragon got up and walked over to the dying dragon.

"Yes, boss?"

"I hereby pass on command of the Deep Shadows over to you." Wraith's eyes glowed.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am..." Wraith sighed deeply.

"I accept." He responded. "And I'll try to be as great a leader as you were."

"I know you will be.."

Lastly, Albanion looked back at the aged Black dragon. "Urobos, I need you to do me a favor..."

"What?" The dark grey dragon lifted his head.

"When you see Elza next...tell her that I decided on a name for our third child..."

"What is it?"

"If it's a boy..Christopher.. And if it's a girl...Maria..." Urobos nodded.

"I'll tell as soon as possible."

"One last thing...Tell her...I love her, and our children.."

Urobos nodded again, tears welling in his eyes.

"I will."

"Thank you, Urobos..."

And with that final sentence, Albanion shut his eyes, exhaling his lat breath. He hed fell back onto the floor.

Albanion the Deep Shadow was now no more.

Cyrus grabbed Urobos's left foreleg, bursting into tears. Urobos did his best to comfort his grandson, but found himself crying as well. Spyro, Cynder and Wraith looked away, accepting the loss of their comrade, but still saddened. Flame didn't know how to react: He didn't know Albanion very well, but understood that he was a good man. So, he just remained silent.

A dusty old book flew up to Ignitus from out of nowhere, and opened up to a blank page. After a moment, the page Magically became filled with various runes, presumably about Albanion.

"What's that about?" Wraith asked the Chronicler.

"Whenever a dragon dies," Ignitus replied, "A new page appears in one of these books." When the runes finished appearing on the page, the book closed and floated away.

"Why?" Urobos asked.

"Why what, Urobos?" Cynder queried.

"Why must so many beings younger than I pass on before me? Alexander, Catherine, my wife Anna, my brothers Valchen and Umbra, my son Bane, my daughter-in-law Elenar, Rose of the Deep Shadows, and now Albanion….all of them dead, while _I_ continue living…" Urobos glanced at Spyro and Cynder. He sneered. "I curse the day you revived me!"

The two dragons frowned

"We did what the moment called for." Spyro said. "We needed you to step in where we could not."

"As if that accomplished anything." Urobos replied, sarcastically.

"Urobos, a dragon doesn't cease to exist when they die." Cynder said. "You of all people should know this.." Urobos sighed.

"That doesn't make the pain of the loss vanish.."

"The pain will fade with time, Urobos." Ignitus said. "For now, you need to be strong. As the oldest surviving member of the Dark dragon Monarchy, you must take up command as King once again."

"You are right." The Black dragon replied. "A lot must be dealt with. Bergan and the other Victiumirti are about to bring about The Great Cleansing. Hope has gone missing. And Rune has gone runaway once again, and he's taken Nellie hostage. I have a lot of work to do."

"You're not alone." Ignitus said. "You have my aid."

"And ours as well." Spyro and Cynder added.

"And ours." Wraith, Flame and Cyrus responded. Urobos smiled.

"Thank you, all of you."

"Where do we begin?" Cynder asked.

"First," Urobos began, "We need to contact our allies in Warfang and Glenhaven. They need to know what has taken place this night. We'll need all of their help if we're to survive the coming tide of evil."

The others nodded in agreement.

"And in the meantime, we'll need to try and find Rune and Tyrrany." Urobos looked at the Chronicler. "Do you think you can find them?"

"I'll try my best." Ignitus answered.

"Thank you."

After this, the adults set to work, making preparations for the coming Times. All the while, Urobos thought about his two missing grandchildren.

_Rune…Hope… where could you two possible be?_

…

Tyrrany suddenly woke with a start. She looked around to see where she was.

Somehow, Tyrrany had appeared in a bizarre mountain range. It was the middle of the night. All around her, giant Rock formations towered high above her, making the White dragoness feel small.

"How did I get here?" She asked out loud. No answer came. The dragoness was alone.

Tyrrany sighed.

"I guess I might as well try to figure out where I am"

Tyrrany spread her wings and took to flight. As she flew, the memories of what happened at Mount Erebus repeated over and over in her mind.

She had killed her mother.

After all these years, getting her revenge on the dragoness that abandoned her was the primary goal of her life. But then, only recently, she found out that she was told nothing but lies. Elenar didn't abandon Tyrrany: the dark grey dragoness had left her somewhere she believed was a safe place. And all this time, Elenar wanted nothing more than to have Tyrrany back in her life.

And just recently, Elenar and Tyrrany finally made peace. The White dragoness was welcomed into the family. She was going to live a happy live, one that she finally deserved…

But now, all of that was ruined.

Tyrrany burst into tears.

"Why?" She asked. "Why did I slip into that rage? Why did I have to pick up Rune's sword? Why did…WHY DID I KILL MOTHER?"

The White dragoness roared in sorrow.

"It's not fair! I was going to get everything I ever wanted! I was going to be LOVED! But now…Now I have all the more reason to hide my face! I won't be hated by the Dark dragon race because of my Hide color, but because I'm a TRAITOR!" The White dragoness continued on her way, beating herself up the whole time.

After a long while of traveling, Tyrrany started to get tired.

"I can't keep going." She decided. "I better find a place to rest for the night."

Tyrrany spent a good while searching for a suitable place to stay. After about ten minutes of flying around, the dragoness spotted a cave at the base of one of the Mountains.

"That should be a good place."

Tyrrany flew inside the cave and came to a landing, relieved that she didn't have to fly anymore. After walking around the cave a little, she decided on an ideal place to sleep at the back of the cave.

As she got comfortable, Tyrrany proceeded to continue thinking out loud.

"Where do I go from here?" She asked herself. "I can't go back to Warfang or Glenhaven, and I can't go back to Faeshrine either…" Tyrrany sighed.

"I wish Flame and Arthur were here.." She lamented. "They'd help me…"

When she was finally too tired to speak, Tyrrany rested her head on the floor. She cried silently.

_I'm sorry, mother. Please forgive me…_

The dragoness slowly slipped away into slumber. Just before that, however, Tyrrany felt something strange. Deep within her body, she sensed something. A small spark of life.

_What?…_

Before Tyrrany could pander this discovery, she slipped away into sleep.

…

Nellie slowly woke from slumber. She tried to open her eyes, only to find that she couldn't: Something was placed over her eyes.

There was something strange going on: Nellie found that she couldn't move her forelegs or hind legs very well. Cold round…_things_ kept her legs close together. She was lying on her side, her tail tucked between her hind legs. The floor underneath her was ice cold.

She was frightened

_Where am I? _She thought. _How did I get here?_

All she could remember was being attacked by Rune in the Pit of the Fallen.

_Rune…._

Nellie didn't know what to think of him anymore.

Part of her still saw him as the same Rune she knew and loved. The Rune for which she would do anything to make him happy. And yet, there was the part of her that feared the monster he had become. The Beast that had no qualms about harming her.

Nellie was so confused. She cried silently.

_What's happened to you, Rune?_

Suddenly, someone spoke to her.

"Nellie…"

It was Rune.

Immediately, the blue dragoness pretended to be asleep, unsure of what the White dragon might do to her.

"Oh Neeeeeeelliiiiiiiiieeee?"

After a moment, she felt someone remove the binding over Nellie's eyes, allowing her to see. She looked up, and gasped to see Rune looking down at her with his Demonic yellow eyes. He was grinning.

"Hello, sleepyhead." He said. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Nellie looked around. She was locked up in various silver chains, which prevented her from moving. Her tail was locked in chains as well.

Rune and Nellie were deep inside a strange cave, which was kept lit up by several Balls of fire, which floated high in the air.

The blue dragoness looked back at Rune, afraid.

"Where are we, Rune?" She asked. Rune chuckled.

"Where we are is of no importance." He answered. "Consider it our secret hiding place."

Nellie looked at the chains she was locked in. She realized that Rune must have placed her in them to be his prisoner.

"What do you want from me?" She asked. Rune smirked.

"You were wrong, Nellie." He said.

"What?"

"Back in the Pit of the Fallen. You were wrong."

"About what?" Rune pointed at his eyes.

"Do you see these eyes of mine? They belong to **ME**, not Rune."

"What?"

"When Rune claimed to not be a monster when you ran from him, he was telling the truth. You see, **I** was the monster you were afraid of."

Nellie shivered.

"You mean….that really was Rune?"

"Of course. And **YOU** didn't believe him!" The White dragon chuckled.

Nellie started to cry. So Rune was telling the truth? Why oh why didn't she believe him when she had the chance? Now she was stuck with…with..

"Who are you?" Nellie demanded. The White dragon smirked again.

"In a way, I'm Rune, and in another, I'm not Rune."

"What?"

"Let's just say, I'm his superior half, which existed ever since he was conceived."

"What's your name?"

"I don't really have one. Rune has given me the nickname 'Runefor'."

"Runefor?"

"You see, Nellie, I first gained the ability to act independently when Rune absorbed Malefor's essence. So, he created a combination of his own name, and the name Malefor, to name me, for the sake of ease."

"Where _is_ Rune?" Runefor chuckled.

"I'll get to _that_ in a minute." He answered. "For now, you want to know what I plan to do with you, correct?"

Nellie nodded. The White dragon chuckled.

"Well, I'll tell you then…"

Runefor placed a forepaw on Nellie's belly. The blue dragoness flinched. His touch was as cold as Ice. Runefor had two of his Talons softly walk up Nellie's belly to her head as he spoke.

"Consider yourself lucky, Nellie: I find you to be quite attractive, just like Rune does. So, I've decided to keep you around, and put you to _good use_."

Nellie gasped.

"You're going to-!"

"Now, now, don't be rash. Consider this: You're one of the lucky few who gets to survive."

"Survive?" Nellie asked, confused. "Survive what?"

Runefor's paw had reached Nellie's head at this point. He gently grabbed hold of her lower jaw.

"You see, Nellie, I have plans. _Big_ plans. Bergan thinks he's going to bring about The Great Cleansing. But he won't. Instead, I'm going to eliminate him and every one of his little pals, and usurp their power as my own."

Nellie gasped.

"And then, I'm going to eliminate every last being on this world, and recreate it, according to my own image."

"How could you possibly do all that?" Nellie exclaimed.

"Oh, I have my ways…" Runefor said. "Now, originally, I was just going to be by myself In the new world. But then I realized something: I'm going to need a mate to rule by my side. And that mate, if you please me, is going to be _you_."

Nellie shivered at the thought.

"What if I say no?" Runefor frowned.

"If you say no, then you'll never see your dear Rune ever again."

Nellie became angry.

"Where **IS **Rune?" She demanded. Runefor laughed.

"Well, aren't WE feisty all of a sudden!" He chided. "I like that…"

Nellie looked down at the floor as Runefor continued laughing. She cried again.

She was completely powerless before Runefor. He could do anything to her at this point. Trying to yell at him was completely pointless.

"..Would you like to see him again?" Runefor asked. Nellie nearly jumped.

"You'd bring him back?" She asked, her voice partly filled with hope.

"I didn't say that." Runefor responded seriously. Nellie frowned, looking away.

"Oh, you were just toying with me." She said sadly.

"No, I wasn't" He responded. She looked back at him.

"Then what, then?"

"I will allow you to if you promise me a few things." Nellie start filling with hope again.

"What things?"

"First, you will promise to be completely loyal to me, and do everything I say, exactly when I say it." Nellie sighed.

"Okay, I promise."

"Second, you will NEVER try to run away when given the chance. You are to stay within the boundaries I place for you."

"I promise."

"And Third, and this is the most **important** one of all, whenever I want to have a little _fun_ with you, you will not protest. If you try your best to please me, then I'll do _my_ best to please YOU in turn. Push me away, and things will become _unpleasant_. Do you promise this?"

Nellie took in a big breath of air. This wasn't an easy decision to make. But, if this meant seeing her Rune again…

"I promise." She said solemnly. Runefor grinned.

"Good."

The White dragon waved his paw through the air, and the chains around Nellie's limbs vanished. The blue dragoness got up onto her feet and looked Runefor in the eyes.

"Okay, now let me see Rune." Runefor shook his head no.

"Not so fast, Nellie!" He responded. "I want to get _comfortable_ first.'

"What do you mean, '_comfortable_'?" Nellie asked, annoyed. Runefor grinned.

The White dragon turned around and walked over to the other side of the cave and lied down, facing the dragoness. He motioned with a talon for Nellie to approach.

"Come lie down next to me." The dragoness had her reservations.

"Why?" Runefor sneered.

"Just do it! Or have you forgotten you promises already?" Nellie jumped in fright.

"No, I haven't forgotten.."

"Then come lie down."

Sighing, Nellie walked over to Runefor and lied down next to him. As she hit the floor, the White dragon had her turn to face him. Runefor then pulled her close, so that their underbellies were rubbing against each other. Lastly, the White dragon wrapped his legs around her torso, and his tail around hers.

"Are you ready for this, Nellie?" He asked. The dragoness shut her eyes, a few tears falling from them.

"I…I'm ready." She answered.

"Good." Runefor said, grinning. "Now, what you're about to feel is going to be a strange new experience for you, and I'm not referring to just the Mating. But don't worry: I'll be gentle during both."

Runefor then slowly slid himself inside her.

Nellie gasped. At first, it hurt. It was like being stabbed with a pointed object. As Runefor went about his business, the dragoness struggled not to cry in pain.

But then, the pain slowly faded. It got less and less severe, until it eventually vanished completely. And it wasn't just the pain of the mating that vanished: Nellie found that her entire body had gone completely numb. She couldn't feel anything at all.

Nellie tried to open her eyes, but found that she could not. She was lost in a great black abyss.

After a moment of being surrounded by nothingness, Nellie heard Runefor's voice talking to her from inside her mind.

_**There is someone here to see you, Nellie**_, he said.

At first, Nellie saw no one. But then, a familiar figure appeared in the distance, and was calling out to her.

_Nellie….._

The dragoness gasped.

_Rune?_

**Characters of The Legend of Rune: Forsakened Blood…**

**Video Game Characters:**

**Flame**

**Spyro**

**Cynder**

**Ember**

**Ignitus**

**Malefor**

**Original Characters:**

**Tyrrany**

**Arthur**

**Rune**

**Glenhaven kids: Nellie, Blank, Emerald, Ruby, Roxanne, Vaun, Aaron**

**Glenhaven Guardians: Hontus, Seraph, Voden, Mimet, Jules, Eloise**

**Glenhaven Elders: Telus, Krystallos, Attonita**

**Cyrus**

**Tina**

**Deep Shadows: Albanion, Elza, Aegis, Wraith, Lilith, Nerona, Grail, Rose**

**Dark Dragon Elders: Argos, Icarox**

**Elenar**

**Urobos**

**Bane**

**Bergan**

**FTC Senior Partners: Anthony, Richard, Melissa, Megara**

**Victiumirti: Lucrun, Desysto, Amouris, Adpetis, Runileon**

**Runefor**

Another story has come to an end…

But another one is about to begin…


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

One Month later...

Tyrrany did her best to stay on her feet. She was experiencing incredible pain, a pain she had not imagined possible.

She was about to produce an egg.

She first realized she was carrying a child a month ago, when she first arrived in these mountains. At first, she didn't know how it could have possibly happened. But then, she remembered:

It happened on that night in Warfang, when Tyrrany forced Flame to mate with her. An egg must have gestated inside her shortly after they finished. There simply was no other way it could have happened

The dragoness hated herself at first. By molesting Flame, she proved to herself that she was no better than Bergan, the man who raped her mother. This child was not produced in a union of love: It was a product of an act of Rape. A bastard child.

But then, Tyrrany remembered how she apologized to Flame for doing what she did. The red dragon had forgiven her completely: He didn't want her out of his life. Tyrrany had made peace with Flame. Bergan, however, treated Elenar like dirt.

There was no way she was like Bergan, and her child was no bastard.

But then, a new thought came to Tyrrany's head: What would she do with it? The White dragoness was only seventeen years old: She wasn't even an adult yet. Would she give her child to someone else, like her mother did with her? Or, would she take the egg and present it to Flame, and ask if he would help her raise it?

Oh, there were so many worries this child gave her, and it wasn't even laid yet. Tyrrany almost wished that it didn't even exist. But, this was the price she paid for molesting Flame...

As Tyrrany lived in the Mountainr range, she felt the child within her get larger and larger as it approached the time of it's laying. She found it harder to move, and she required more food than she used to eat. Luckily, there were plenty of mountain goats that lived in the Mountain range, hence their name.

As this period of time passed, Tyrrany wondered what was happening in the outside world. After all, Bergan had unleashed not one, not two, but _six_ great evils onto the world. It would only be a matter of time before death and destruction on a wide scale came. However, nothing happened in the mountain range that the White dragoness was hiding out in. Whether this was good or bad, she did not know...

After an entire month or so passed by, on this very day, it happened. Tyrrany felt the egg moving out of its pocket of flesh inside her, and towards the slit between her hind legs. It wasn't a pleasent feeling.

Tyrrany struggled to keep from falling as she stood a few inches above the floor of the cave. If her experience watching her mother's friend Elza was correct, the egg would come falling down as soon as it was free of her body's grip on it. She feared that the cave floor would crack the egg once it was laid, so she flew outside as best as she could and came to a landing on a patch of grass. The dirt beneath her feet seemed safe enough for her egg to land on.

After getting the least uncomfortable as she possibly could, Tyrrany set to work.

Tears poured down her face as she pushed the egg with the muscles within her, moving it towards the slit.

_Come on, Tyrrany,_ she told herself. _You can get through this._

She pushed and pushed, the egg moving slowly but surely. The dragoness imagined that this would have been easier if she was a fully grown dragoness. She also shuddered at the thought of there being _multiple_ eggs within her. To her relief, she felt only one.

_If only Flame was here. He would help me through this..._

After a few minutes of pushing and struggling, Tyrrany looked down underneath herself to see the tip of the egg appear. After that, the egg slid farther and farther, until, finally, with one last push, it fell out of her and onto the grass. The dragoness collapsed onto her side, breathing deeply.

She did it. Tyrrany managed produce the egg. Her child now lay a few inches away.

_Would mother be proud of me? Or... Would she be disappointed to know that I even MATED at such a young age? I guess I'll never know now..._

When Tyrrany found the strength, she got up onto her feet and turned to look at the egg. It was small, with a shining Purple shell. Tyrrany smiled.

"Well, it looks like you're going to be a purple dragon, little one." She said. She picked up the egg, wiped the grass and dirt off of it, and sat on the ground with it, cradling it in her frontlegs. She felt a sensation she never felt before: motherly affection. She was holding a tiny little being that _she_ brought into the world. There was no way she'd hand it over to someone else.

"You are my child, little one." She said to the egg. "I'll raise you, and protect you from harm. Even if other dragons try to kill me, I'll never let them hurt you."

Tyrrany sighed. She looked up at the sky. She was worried.

"I wonder what your father will say when he finds out you exist. Or worse, your grandfather..."


	20. Prologue FM

Prologue

The Mountains of Inferdus, many years ago...

Elenar made her way across the many passageways of Mount Erebus, the tallest mountain in all the Dragon Realms.

The many upturns and downturns were kept illuminated by the countless clusters of Multi-colored Gems, as well as the numerous torches that brimmed with never-extinguishing Green fire. The walls and floors of every hall and chamber were carved out of the very rock of the mountain, but many doorways were made of wood, and sometimes metal. and In the center of the mountain, the Great Chasm was illuminated by hundreds of torches, filling a vast majority of the network of corridors around it with a great swath of Green light. Hundreds of Dark dragons, their dully shaded scales glowling lowly in the light, traveled across their way along the interior of the mountainside, heading on their way towards countless jobs and duties. Far below, the massive crevice in the earth, the Pit of the Fallen, was heavilly guarded, preventing anyone from abusing the Pit's power.

In her haste, Elenar nearly knocked over many other Pain dragons, and the occasional Wind dragon, as they traversed the mountain's corridors, some of them swearing at the Princess as she ran past.

"Watch where you're going!" An older female roared as she lost her balance.

"Sorry, Ma'am!" The younger dragoness shouted behind herself without stopping. "I've got to see my mother!"

Elenar was in her early twenties. Despite being an adult, she was years away from achieving her true height: Other, older adults towered over hear by at least a head and a half. She wore a soft, red silk dress over her hindquarters, and had four golden bands around her ankles. A small, silver Tiara sat atop her Dark Grey mane, and was held in place by her two back-curling horns. The tiara was emblazoned with a large Red Glyph in the shape of a pair of crossed Infinity Signs, and a pair of Diamonds were embedded into the sides of it as well.

The Princess ran as fast as her legs could carry, panic and alarm in her being. She was carrying a large, Golden satchel around her neck, which contained a vital message for mother, Queen Eliza.

Just recently, a scroll arrived from several of the Aries royal family's allies in Clan Aquarius, the Clan of Wind.

For the longest time, the two Clans had shared a sort of symbiotic relationship: they would often help each other with supplies when times of hardship came, and they also provided each other with shelter when one had to go without due to climate problems. Even though Aries was nuetral during the Twilight War, they still aided Aquarius by supplying them with the Gems needed to sustain their own lives, especially after Clan Virgo, the clan that controlled most of the Mountians of Kilon, went out of their way to prevent a single Gem from falling into the Wind dragons' forepaws.

When Elenar recieved the scroll, she read it out of curiosity. Upon seeing its contents, the dragoness's heart nearly leapt from her chest, and she simply HAD to give it to her mother as soon as possible. As she ran, she happened to bump into a young Wind dragoness: Elza, her best friend and personal assistant.

Elza was close to Elenar's age, but the differences between them were obvious. For starters, because of her Element, Elza had a Dark Green hide. The Wind dragoness's Grey skirt fell down to her elbows and knees, and her mane was kept short and neat. Her Silver horns bent backwards like Lightning bolts just above her Emerald eyes. Lastly, though bost dragonesses were slim in figure, Elza was significantly more slender.

Both dragonesses hit the floor upon impact.

"What's the rush, Elly?" The Wind dragoness groaned, getting up onto her feet.

"I just recently recieved a scroll via Dragonflymail!" Elenar declared, climbing upright as well. "It's from Clan Aquarius!"

"My clan?" Elza asked. "What's it say?"

The Pain dragoness looked away from her friend, her face brimming with dread.

"Is something wrong?" The Wind dragoness queried, concernd.

"I... I can't repeat it." She said solemnly. "Not here."

"Why not, Elenar?"

"I need Mother to see it first." Elenar turned to continue running. "Come on."

Elza shrugged, and then continued on after her friend.

A few minutes later, the Princess burst into the one place she knew where her mother and father would be: The Throne Room.

The room was a massive chamber on one of the Upper sections of the Mountain. It was the only chamber of the network of tunnels that didn't have a large chunk of the floor or ceiling cut open to connect it to the Great Chasm. The walls were decorated with massive clusters of Green, Red and Blue Crystals. Just beneath these clusters, two long lines of soldiers stood on guard on either side of the chamber. Over on the far end of the room, two middle-aged dragons sat upon two Silver thrones.

They were Eliza and Alexander, the Queen and King of the Clan of Pain.

Alexander, despite being in his early fifties, was a surprisingly short dragon, barely able to look into his daughter's eyes from atop his throne. He had two Dark Grey, broad horns, which grew from his neck like tusks. He had a Midnight Black mane, which was neatly trimmed short and pulled back into a Rat's tail. The King was dressed in a set of Black robes, which partially hid the pair of Glyphs that were on his sides: A set of crossed Infinity Symbols.

Eliza stood tall and majestic, towering over her short husband. She had four Bronze horns: two broader ones curling backwards from just above her Topaz eyes, and two slightly smaller ones curling backwards from below and behind the others. Her Silver mane was woven into thick braids, and a silver medallion emblazoned with a pair of crossed Infinity Signs hung around her neck. Various metal bands were wrapped around her tail and parts of her forelegs.

Both monarchs were wearing matching Crowns upon their heads: The Silver metal had a total of eight images of the Aries clan symbol embedded on it: One on each of eight sides. Each crown had eight spikes of teeth jutting upwards just between each symbol, and all eight teeth had a large Diamond embedded into its side. The only true difference was that Eliza's crown was slightly wider and larger than her husband's.

Although Alexander was the descendant of the Aries Ruling bloodline, it was his mate Eliza who took direct command of the dragons of Aries. For hundreds of years, most of the heirs who were directly next in line for the throne have been female. Therefore, it was the Queen who always took primary rule over the Mountians of Inferdus. When it came time for Alexander to marry and pass on his rulership, he sought out the dragoness he could trust the most to rule wisely. From that day on, he became a dragon Elder despite his "young" age, and would often provide his wife Eliza with advice from time to time.

Elenar ran forwards towards her parents at first, but gradually slowed her pace to walk up to them. Elza was following close behind.

"G-Good morning, Mother." Elenar said, bowing.

"Greeings, dear." Eliza replied, smiling slightly. "What brings you up here in such haste? Is something the matter?"

The Princess's feelings of dread and distress reached their zenith.

"Yes." She replied. She immediately opened her satchel and dug into it. Elenar pulled out the scroll and presented it to her mother.

"Not a few moments ago, I received this scroll from a Dragonfly who arrived from the Raunn Jungle. I took the liberty of reading it myself, and... well..."

The Princess sighed defeatedly.

"What is wrong?" Alexander queried.

"It's too much for me to bear." Elenar stated. "You'll have to read it for yourself."

Eliza took the scroll from her daughter, opened it, and proceeded to read it. During this, the Princess looked down at the floor as if ashamed by the contents, while Elza looked on, concerned.

When the Queen finished reading the scroll, she rolled it back up and sighed.

"What does it say, Eliza?" Alexander asked.

"King Boreas is no more." Eliza declared grimly.

"What?" Elza shouted, surprised.

"Not a fortnight ago," The Queen stated, "during the battle in the Raunn Jungle, the Wind King's life was taken from him, by none other than the combined efforts of King Oceanus and King Gaius."

The Wind dragoness gasped in horror.

"That is not all." Eliza added. "In a fit of rage, a gang of Wind dragons turned and swarmed at the two Light dragon Kings. They all lost their lives, but in that sacrifice, they slew Oceanus and left Gaius gravely wounded. Before the Earth King could be slain, however, a large number of his soldiers came to his rescue and fled the jungle with him. Several of the remaining Wind dragons tried to give pursuit, but the Water dragons overcame them, and slew them to avenge their fallen Lord."

"I see..." Alexander stated.

"Are..." Elza asked worriedly. "Are there any surivors among Clan Aquarius?"

"The scroll does not say." The Queen answered. "I am sorry, Elza."

An air of silence fell about the room.

The Pain dragons in the room held their heads low, as did the soldiers on standby, while the Wind dragoness started crying in sorrow. Elenar draped a wing over her friend's back to comfort her.

Her clan of Aquarius was no more. Almost the entirety of her once proud clan of Wind dragons was wiped from the earth in less than a day. Even if there were survivors, even if there were still remnants of Boreas' family, the Wind dragons were doomed to fade into extinction.

This was not the first time a Clan of Dark dragons was doomed to this fate.

Several years ago, the Dark dragons suffered their first great loss in the form of the deaths of King Orpheus, the King of Clan Leo, and his family of Sound dragons. They were slain by Oceanus's forces, and the Water King proceeded to claim the Sound King's land, the Aechos Valley, as his own, killing all of the Sound dragons too foolish to flee with their lives. Several years later, King Darzun, the Fauna King, lost his life to Gaius, who proceeded to take the Raunn Jungle as his own, forcing the Fauna dragons to flee to the East. Since then, Boreas and his forces had been trying to liberate the Jungle of Light dragon control. And now, it seemed that the Wind King's efforts resulted in a poisoned victory: he and his people lost their lives while taking the life of Oceanus.

Now, only three Dark dragon clans remained unfragmented: Aries, Scorpio and Capricorn.

As the Princess did her best to calm Elza down, another Pain dragoness walked into the Throne room.

"Excuse me." The dragoness stated. "There is another scroll that needs attending to, your Majesty."

It was a woman named Nerona.

Nerona was a few years older than Elenar, but was also significantly shorter, and had a thicker hindquarters. She had three horns of a Dark Amethyst, which bent backwards on the top of her head in almost exactly the same way as the Princess. She was dressed in a small set of brown robes, which hid her wings and sides from view. A short, brown satchel shifted to and fro and she walked.

The shorts Crimson eyes momentarilly darted across the room as she approached the Queen. Elenar watched the whole while from where she stood, eyeing the other Pain dragoness in confusion.

"Another scroll, Nerona?" Alexander queried. "Is it from the same source as the first?"

"Not quite, your Highness." The Red-headed dragoness replied, rifling through her satchel. "Moments after Elenar ran off to give you _that _scroll, another dragonfly arrived from the city of Aeroshard, bearing _this_ scroll."

Nerona produced a small, Silver scroll with the image of a set of scales emblazoned on the side; The sign of Clan Libra.

"A scroll from Kronos?" Eliza asked as she took the scroll from the young dragoness. "Why, neither Alexander nor I have heard from him since this bloody war began."

"What could he be wanting to send us word about?" The King wondered out loud.

"Read and find out, your Highness." Nerona replied.

Eliza opened the scroll and took a moment to read its contents. During this time, Nerona stood a short distance away from Elenar and Elza.

"Why didn't you let me know before I ran off, Nerona?" The Princess whispered.

"Perhaps if you learned to be patient," The other dragoness stated coldly, "You would've learned sooner."

Once the Queen finished reading her scroll, she shook her head in disdain.

"Yet another death to worsen the mood..." She stated.

"What do you mean, your Majesty?" Elza asked, having finally calmed down some.

"Quite recently, King Kronos of Clan Libra has passed on to the Underworld." Eliza proclaimed. "He died of a terrible disease that rendered his ability to heal from injuries all but nonexistant. The Time King's son, Prince Bergan, has made a request for us to attend the Golden dragon's funeral in Aeroshard."

"Bergan?" Elenar queried.

Alexander snorted.

"What makes that boy think we'd wish to leave the safety of our home to attend his father's death party?" The King questioned.

"Well," Eliza replied, "According to a small section near the end of the scroll, Bergan claims that while mine and your presence is optional, only Elenar's presence is absolutely necessary. He also says that he wishes to 'apologize', but he doesn't say what about."

The Pain King rolled his eyes.

"How does he expect us to reach Aeroshard?" He spat. "Our world is torn by a seemingly never-ending war. Getting to a city on the Southern continent from our home in Mount Erebus will take ages."

"We can travel if we stick to Dark Dragon territory, father." Elenar replied. "To be honest, I'm deathly curious as to what Bergan seeks to apologize for."

"I want you to stay away from that boy, Elenar." The King scolded.

"Come now, Alexander." The Queen stated. "There is no harm in letting our daughter visit Prince Bergan in his time of grief. And to be honest, I seek to find out what he wants to apologize for myself."

Alexander sighed.

"Fine." He stated. "You and Elenar may go if you wish, but **I** shall stay behind. We cannot leave the Mountains of Inferdus without a Ruler, even for a short while."

"Could you not have someone rule in your stead, sire?" Nerona asked.

"**No.**" The King snapped. The short Pain dragoness frowned.

"As you wish, your Highness."

Elenar turned towards Elza.

"Would you like to come, Elza?" She asked.

"What for?" The Dark Green dragoness replied sadly. "I have lost my clan, and possibly my family along with them. Why would you want me to travel to a place where another has suffered a similar tragedy?"

The Princess frowned.

"I was just thinking you'd like to get out of this stuffy Mountain for once, Elza." She reassured. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright." Elza interjected."I know what you probably meant. But still, I couldn't bear to be near another place where death hangs in the air."

Nerona rolled her eyes.

"It's just as well." She sneered. "I can't imagine you'd be able to comfort Bergan in that sorry state."

The Wind dragoness glared at the short dragoness.

"I didn't ask your opinion, Nerona." She spat.

"Still, 'my opinion' is valid enough to be considered fact." The Pain dragoness stated. "You'd only serve to remind the Prince of the loss of his own father by going on about your own lost family."

"Why you decrepid louse!" Elza snarled.

"That's ENGOUH!" Eliza bellowed, causing the younger dragoness to jump in surprise.

"That constant squabbling will get you nowhere!" The Queen sneered. "Elza, whether you wish to stay here, or leave for Aeroshard, your choice is fine by me. But with all do respect, do not go on about your pain and suffering within Bergan's earshot should you attend. "

"Yes, Ma'am." The Wind dragoness stated quietly.

"And as for you, Nerona... You had best learn to watch your tongue around me and Alexander. Your're on constant thin ice as it is."

"My apologies, your grace." The short dragoness stated solemnly, bowing her head.

"Good. Now then..." Eliza turned her gaze to Elenar. "Pack what personal belongings you deem fit for travel. We shall leave for Aeroshard on the morrow."

"As you wish, mother." Elenar responded, also bowing.

The Princess turned to leave the throne room, Elza following close behind. As they left, the Wind dragoness flashed Nerona a glare. The short dragoness glared right back.

...

Six days had passed since they left the Mountains of Inferdus.

Queen Eliza, Princess Elenar, Elza, and a large entourage of Pain dragons had left Mount Erebus and traveled East to the Tarune Forest. They then stopped in Faeshrine for a brief time, and then continued traveling south and partially to the west. After traveling carefully outside the islands in that section of the Ocean, which was still Water dragon territory, they finally arrived at the section of the Arcus desert that formed a massive gap between the Easeternmost edge of the Fractured Hills, and the Northernmost edge of the Mountians of Kilon.

Once they were on the southern continent, the Dark dragons carefully traveled through the desert sands for a little over a day. And then, when it was almost a full week since they left their home, Eliza and her group finally arrived at their destination: Aeroshard.

A massive Metal and stone wall surrounded the perimeter of the city of Power, and was lined with twelce gates on each side, each one marked with a number in a clocklike arrangement. All around the wall, massive turrets were being installed, as a future precaution against any attack. Just within the wall, the city blocks were designed so that the smallest buildings were by the city wall, and the tallest ones were in the center of the city, surrounding the massive Temple which overcame them all.

On various spots of the city were several small, wooden buildings. Each of them was a small chapel: A shrine, built by Wind dragons of olden times, to honor the Greatest dragoness of them all: The Great Shadow.

Many Dragons and Nondragons walked about the city, heading about a multitude of tasks. During this, Eliza and her group carefully approached the Aeroshard Temple. Even if the city of Power was a neutral territory, it was still home to many Light dragons, only some of whom were the neutral Time drakes.

As Eliza walked at the front of her entourage, Elza and Elenar were on either side of her. The Wind dragoness felt uneasy as several of the Light dragons eyed her.

"Do not fret." The Queen reassured. "No dragons in this city are our enemies."

"I'm not so sure..." Elza stated quietly.

Eventually, Eliza and the others came before the Aeroshard Temple.

Aeroshard's temple was the largest building in the whole city. Its front walls were wide enough to overtake an entire city block, and was surrounded by a mutlitude of Stone pillars on all sides. The temple itself stood large enough to overcome even the highest of the buildings around it, and had four massive towers at the Northerwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest corners, which rose high enough to appear as if they touched the sky.

Eliza and the other Dark dragons closest to her came to a stop before the Temple gates, where a group of soldiers stood at the ready.

"Who goes there?" One of the guards, a Tigeress, asked.

"I am Queen Eliza." The middle-aged dragoness began. "I have recieved a summons from Prince Bergan, who asked for me and my daughter to arrive to attend the funeral of the late King Kronos."

Elenar presented the Silver scroll to the guards, who looked it over to see if it was genuine.

"We shall summon Lord Bergan immediately." Another soldier, a Cheetah, proclaimed.

A few of the soldiers turned and entered the Temple. A few minutes later, a Purple dragon in his early twenties stepped out of the front gates. Even though Elenar hadn't seen him in years, she knew who it was almost as soon as she layed eyes on him.

Bergan.

The Libra prince had a muscular figure, but wasn't as thickly built as an Earth or Fauna dragon. His three Silver horns, two like those of a ram's and one bending down the backside of his head, were decorated in various gold rings. He had a small, Golden beard upon his chin, and his mane was tied back in silver bonds. He wore a short black cape over his torso, and a pair of Gold stockings over his forepaws. A large pendant studded with a large Sapphire hung around his neck.

As the Purple dragon approached the Pain Queen, he eyed her and her group with his Blood Red eyes.

"Ah, Queen Eliza." He stated warmly. "How wonderful to see you!"

"Greetings, Bergan." The middle-aged dragoness replied.

The Prince turned to face Elenar.

"Why, if it isn't my dearest friend Elenar." He said happily.

"It's been too long, Bergan." The Princess replied, smiling. "I see you've finally gotten bulkier than when you were a teenager."

"Oh, you flatterer." The Purple dragon turned to face the Wind dragoness. "Who might this be?"

"My name is Elza." She stated. "I'm the Princess's personal assistant."

"She's also my best friend." Elenar added.

"And quite a lovely friend she is." Bergan commented.

The Prince kissed the Wind dragoness on the forepaw, causing her to blush.

"You haven't lost a bit of your charm in the last seven years, Bergan." Elenar stated, smiling.

"Why, thank you very much, my dear." The Purple dragon responded. "But these good tidings are slowing us down: Why don't we all step inside: There is much to be done, especially the things involving my beloved father's death."

The Prince turned and lead the Dark dragonesses and their entourage into the Temple.

...

A few days later.

It was the later half of the afternoon. The time had come to conduct the Time King's funeral, which was held in the courtyard behind the Temple.

The sky was darkened by a massive swath of Greyish-black clouds: The sure sign of an approaching thunderstorm. The Wind blew harshly across the city, dragging sand from the desert along with it and pelting a few beings and with small bits of earth as they walked towards the center of the city.

The Temple's courtyard was composed of a massive, well-groomed plot of grass, with a large garden growing on the Eastern and Western sides of the yard, along the walls. Two massive rows of wooden benches were set up between the back of the Temple and the far side of the Northern wall. Many dragons and nondragons filled the benches, most of them filled with grief at the loss of their former Lord and Master.

At the far end of the courtyard, just between the two rows, stood a large, wood-and-metal coffin, studded with various Sapphires and large red glyphs in the form of Sets of Scales. Within that coffin, lying on its back, was the body of a large dragon: Kronos.

The coffin was left partially open, so that all could see the upper half of the Time King's body. A spell had been cast over him to prevent his flesh and organs from decaying into nothing, so that he may stay as grand in appearance til the end of time. Despite this, his once-shining scales had been left pale and sickly from the illenss that plagued him prior to his death. His thick Grey mane was tied tightly in a series if gold bands, and his seven thick horns were decorated in the finest of rings. The King's torso was covered in the same thick, Golden coat and sashes that he had worn during his time a ruler of Aeroshard. His forepaws were clasped together on his chest, hiding his royal birthmark, a red Scales glyph on his right forepaw, from view.

Once the sun had started to set in the sky, the mass started.

An aged, Brown-hided dragon in Elder's robes approached the front of the mass, standing just behind a stone Podium that had been placed a short distance in front of the Time King's coffin.

"My people, we are gathered here on this evening to mourn the passing of Kronos, the King of this fine city. He was taken, before his time, by a terrible disease, which robbed him of the ability to heal from injury. Now, a great number of people, who have known our King very well, shall approach the podium, and share with us a few words they wish to say about our fallen Lord..."

After this, a large portion of time was spent as several people, Nobles and commoners, man and woman, stepped up to the podium and spoke about good times they had shared with the Golden King. At one point, even Queen Eliza got up to pay Kronos' respects.

During this time, Elza and Elenar sat in the front row of the left side of the benches, looking on at the body of the fallen king.

The Wind dragoness sighed softly, struggling not to allow tears to fall from her eyes. Nerona was correct: This air of death and sadness only served to remind Elza of the loss of her own clan. However, she had chosen to come here, if only to be with her friend Elenar. And she promised not to show her pain around the Libra Prince.

"Are you alright, Elza?" The Princess asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Elly." The Wind dragoness replied.

Ever since Elza was sent by her parents, alongside several other Wind dragon children, to live in the Mountains of Inferdus at the start of the Twilight War, she and Elenar had been the best of friends; almost like sisters, in fact. If the Princess was going to go somewhere, Elza would go along with her.

Eventually, one last person approached the podium: Bergan.

The Purple Prince looked behind himself at his father, a mournful gaze in his eyes. After a brief, yet deep, sigh, Bergan turned back around and approached the crowd.

"My people..." He began, "I... I cannot say that I am able to bear this loss easilly. At every moment, I struggle to keep myself from bursting into tears before you all. My father was a good man, a better king, and the best of fathers a young dragon could ask for. After my dear mother Atropos passed away a few years ago, my father was the only family I had left, and there was much I had hoped to learn from him for many years. But alas, fate has taken him away, and I find myself forced into an umcomfortable position."

"Uncomfortable position?" Elza whispered, confused. Bergan continued.

"My people, as law dictates, since I am the sole remaining heir of the Libra bloodline, I must stand up and take my father's place as King of the city of Aeroshard. It would be a great lie to tell you that I am ready for this. I am years away from reaching the proper age to take up the Monarchy: I am not even a fully grown man. However, it would be selfish of me to step away, and leave my city and its people without a ruler to keep them from slaughtering each other in a mass chaos."

The crowd started murmuring amongst themselves.

"So, it is with a very heavy soul that I hereby declare that I shall be taking over as King of the city of Power. I pray that Lord Spyro blesses my time as ruler, and prevents me from making grave mistakes."

The Prince turned around to face the body of the Golden dragon, sorrow visible on his face.

"And I also pray that you watch over me, father." He said sadly.

With those things finally said, Bergan turned and proceeded to walk down the aisle between the rows. As he did this, he stopped to speak to Elenar.

"Would please you do me the kindess of following me, Elenar?" He asked with a mournful gaze. "I am in pain, and need an old friend to confide in."

"Of course, Bergan." The Princess replied. "I wouldn't leave a friend to mourn on their own."

Elenar quicky turned to look at Elza and Eliza.

"You two don't mind me leaving for a while, do you?"

"Do as you wish, dear." The Queen stated.

"Go ahead." Elza added. "I'll see you later, Elly."

"Alright, then." The young Pain dragoness turned towards the Prince. "Lead the way, Bergan."

"As you wish."

The Purple dragon proceeded to lead Elenar towards the back doors of the Temple. All the while, the neither the dragoness, nor the crowd of people around her, noticed the grin that briefly appeared on Bergan's face whenever he glanced back at her.

...

Bergan and Elenar walked through the now barren hallways of Aeroshard Temple.

The floor was made entirely of marble tiles, and the walls were constructed of metal and wood. Every hallway and corridor was kept illuminated by a multitude of torches, which glowed with a magical green fire. Some of the walls had great glass windows, which allowed one to view the courtyard beyond.

As the two Royals walked along, Bergan began speaking.

"I must give you my most sincerest apologies, Elenar." He said solemnly.

"For what?" The princess asked.

"For causing your friend, as well as your allies, so much grief these past seven years."

"I do not understand what you mean, Bergan."

The Purple dragon sighed.

"Your companion Elza, the Wind dragoness, has just recently lost what little family she had in the battle for the Raunn Jungle, correct?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Their suffering is because of me." The Prince stated. "Once upon a time, when we were teenagers during the last Council of the Monarchs, I made the suggestion for Clan Pisces and Clan Aquarius to go to war. Do you recall this?"

Elenar thought for a moment.

"Yes..." She stated.

"It was a grave and foolish mistake." Bergan responded, frowning. "Back then, I had assumed that only those two clans would take up arms against each other. Instead, almost each and every one of the clans fought in the war, causing a great and terrible timespan of hatred and bloodshed."

The Purple dragon stopped to look at Elenar with sorroful eyes.

"I didn't expect your father to come here. I can imagine he must hold me with great disdain for bringing such a swift end to the Peace he worked so hard to reestablish after his father Runileon brought about such chaos all those years ago. Perhaps I am no better than the Wicked One himself."

"Don't say that, Bergan." The Pain dragoness replied. "You may have made mistakes in the past, but you didn't mean for the Dark dragons to be wiped out like my Grandfather did."

"Still, with the way things are now, it's only a matter of time before Runileon the Wicked's ultimate plans are brought about indirectly."

Elenar was taken aback by this.

"What are you saying?" She demanded.

Bergan sighed, and then continued walking.

"So far, most of the dragons of Clans Leo, Taurus and Aquarius have been slain in mass quantities by the Light side of the war." He began again. "The Light dragons are no doubt pleased with their progress, but I fear that their bloodlust will not stop there."

"What do you mean?" Elenar asked worriedly.

"The only Dark dragon clan that still wishes to fight is Clan Scorpio, the Flora dragons. They are currently outnumbered four to one: If the clans of Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini and Virgo all strike at once, Scorpio's defeat will be absolute. Furthermore, Scorpio's land, the Tarune forest, lies just between the Mountains of Inferdus and the Floating Plains: The lands belonging to Clans Aries and Capricorn, respectively. With all of their enemies placed close together, the Light dragon clans will seek to wipe them all out at once."

The Pain dragoness gasped.

"That can't be true!" She snapped. "Aries and Capricorn are neutral: They haven't lifted a talon to fight in the war!"

"Ah, but the two clans have had close relationships with Aquarius and Scorpio, respectively." Bergan replied. "Aries offers Aquarius food and shelter from time to time, as does Capricorn for Scorpio. With that friendship in mind, the two Dark clans will be seen as more enemies. But even if that is not the case, the Light dragons of Clans Virgo and Pisces have been especially estatic in the destruction of the Dark dragons: since Aries and Capricorn are Dark dragon clans, they will still be percieved as targets. And all the more vulnerable ones at that, since the two clans, as you say, 'haven't lifted a talon to fight'."

Purple dragon looked down at the floor.

"Because of my foolishness, I have condemned the Dark dragon race to genocide. I am just as Wicked as Runileon."

Elenar was taken aback.

"This..." She stated. "..This is unacceptable. How could such a thing be true?"

"I don't wish it to be," The Purple dragon stated, "But with the way things are at the moment, it _is_ true."

"Can't something be done to prevent this?" The dragoness asked. "Can't the clans of Cancer and Libra step in to defend the Dark dragons?"

"You would have them take up arms against their Light dragon brethren?" Bergan stated. "If those two clans take up arms, which is next to impossible in Cancer's case, the other Light dragons would percieve them as traitors, and attack with great prejudice, thus extending the war even further, and leaving the Dragon race even **more** divided. And even IF Cancer and Libra step in, their homelands are several hundred miles away from the territories of Aries, Capricorn and Scorpio: It would be a great burden for them to send. And what's worse: My land is sandwiched between Gemini and Virgo territory: Clan Libra would be brought to its knees on two sides."

"Than what can be done, defeatedly?" Elenar asked defeatedly. "Are the Dark dragons doomed?"

"I have thought of an answer, Elenar." Bergan answered. "The Dark dragon race will have to... disappear."

"What?" The dragoness queried, taken aback.

"Allow me to explain." The Prince stated. "Quite recently, I have had the fortune of speaking to Queen Persephone, ruler of Clan Scorpio and the Tarune forest. We are currently arranging for my forces to 'eliminate' the citizens of the city of Faeshrine."

"Excuse me?"

"On the surface, it will appear as though I have wiped out the Flora dragons. But in reality, all of those Flora dragons will instead be coming here, to live in Aeroshard."

"They will?" Elenar asked.

"Oh yes. And hopefully, not just the Flora dragons: I wish for **all** Dark dragons to come to Aeroshard."

"Why is that, Bergan?"

"Since I have caused this great disaster for the Dark dragon race, it is only fitting that I allow them to live here in my city, as Penance for my deeds. They will be provided with food, shelter, and anything else they need, at little to no cost on their part. And that is not all: They shall all live here in secret, so that no Light dragon, whether of Libra of any other clan, will know thay they still exist, and therefore will no longer hunt after the Dark dragons."

"That... seems like a good plan." Elenar stated. "But why don't you tell this to my mother, the Queen of Aries?"

"Because, in a short time, it will be **you** who is Queen." The Purple dragon answered. "I plan to speak with Bane on this matter as well, since he is no doubt the next King of Clan Capricorn. I have tried to seek out the remaining monarchs of the other Dark clans to tell them the same, but I have been too late in that regard."

"I see..." The dragoness responded, frowning.

"There is another reason that I come to you and not your mother, Elenar." Bergan added. "Although, I fear that you may think ill of me for it."

"What is it, Bergan?"

The Purple dragon came to a stop again, this time before a large, Metal door marked with the symbol of Clan Libra. His bedchamber.

"As a sign of my good will, and as proof that Clan Libra shall forever remain friendly towards the Dark dragon race, I believe that it is only fitting that I marry a dragoness who is set to become the next Monarch of a Dark clan, thus showing physical proof of Unity amongst our races. Unfortunately, upon searching for the other Dark dragon Monarchs, I have discovered that most of the still-surviving heirs have all been male... save for one."

The two dragons were silent for a moment.

"... Me." The Princess stated.

"Yes, Elenar." Bergan responded. "By becoming mates, we could show both my clan, and your race, that we can all still stand as one. And that would be increasingly reinforced by the sight of our children... if you would honor me by having me as your husband and mate, that is."

Elenar sighed.

"I am unsure of this, Bergan." She stated. "Do not misunderstand me: You are a fine young man in your own right. However, I don't believe that my parents, especially my father Alexander, would allow such a marriage to take place..."

Bergan's features changed from sadness, to irritation.

"Surely, as a grown woman, you are able to make your own decisions." He suggested.

"Yes, but still, I want the approval of my Parents first: I merely wish to stay on good terms with them."

"Do you not wish to do the right thing for your people?" The Purple dragon demanded. "All I am trying to do is right the wrongs I have commited in the past. Becoming my bride is a small price to pay for a lifetime of protection and provision! Do you wish for Clan Aries to stand alone and unprotected? Do you wish to suffer the blind wrath of the Light dragon race, and be wiped clean from the land?"

"No!" Elenar shouted defensively. "Of course not!"

"Then why do you deny me?" Bergan exclaimed.

The dragoness looked down at the floor, sadness in her eyes.

"I..." She stated, unsure of what to say. She looked up at Bergan, who glared at her, waiting for an answer.

"When would the mass exodus begin?" She asked.

"In a few months, if all goes well." The Purple dragon answered.

"I see..." Elenar responded.

The dragoness sighed.

"Bergan, when exactly do you wish to have children?"

The Prince grinned. He reached for the knob of the metal doorway, turned it, and slowly opened the door, letting it go so it could slide open on its own the rest of the way.

"The sooner, the better." He answered. "It would all be for a good cause, I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, I understand." The Princess stated solemnly. "I'm... more than happy to have you as my mate, Bergan."

"I'm sure you are."

The Purple dragon motioned with a forepaw for Elenar to step inside his room.

"Go and lie down on my bed, Elenar. I trust you will find the experience quite... rewarding."

Without another word, the dragoness walked past Bergan and entered the room, her head held low the whole way. After this, the Prince stepped inside, turned around, and grabbed hold of the two doorknobs. With a triumphant grin upon his face, he shut the two doors swiftly, locking them shut.

For better or worse, Elenar would never forget this night: The night when her firstborn child was conceived.


	21. Act 1, Chapter 1 FM

Act 1, Chapter 1

The Present day, in the city of Faeshrine.

Two young dragons walked towards the center of a large chamber.

They were in the lower section of the Faeshrine Training Arena. The entire room was a massive, circular structure crafted out the finest Red stone. Various pillars and beams were spread about the far walls to hold the massive Glass roof high atop the floor. A multitude of statues carved in the shapes of dragons stood beside the pillars, designed so that they held the pillars upright with only their forepaws. This entire building was used by older dragons to train the next generation in both physical and magical combat. And today, those two dragons would be trained in both.

The two dragons reached the center of the arena, with their backs facing away from each other.

The first dragon was named Flamaedelus-Anthony the fourth, or simply just Flame. He was a Fire dragon, roughly sixteen years old. His vibrant red hide glistened like flames in the sunlight that filled the chamber, while his Yellow wing membranes and diagonal horns shined like light. He was wearing a small set of Brown goggles around his neck, and his Orange mane was tied back in a ponytail, like always.

The other dragon was Bergan's daughter: A White dragoness named Tyrrany.

She was seventeen years old, and was slightly taller than Flame. Despite being a somewhat slender dragoness, her build was significantly muscular: The result of years of training in the arena. Her Sparkling White hide served as a great contrast to the Fire dragon's Red. Her four Dark Grey horns, two which curled backwards atop her head and two that grew like tusks on her neck, were cleanly polished. Her eyes were as red as Blood, just like her father's. On each of her sides, just between her forelegs and hindlegs, stood a great Red glyph, in the shape of a pair of crossed Infinity Signs. Her almost-black mane fell raggedly down her neck: another stark contrast to the neatness of Flame's mane.

Four years. Four long years. That's how long it had been since Tyrrany learned that the dragoness known as Elenar was alive and well.

For as long as the White dragoness could remember before that night, she had known little of her mother. What she _did_ know, however, was tht Elenar was a Dark dragoness, who had left Tyrrany's egg to rot in the middle of the Tarune Forest. Luckilly, Bergan managed to find the girl before she died in the forest, and brought her back to Faeshrine. Ever since that night, The Purple dragon taught his daughter everything there was to know about the history of the Dragon race, and how the Twilight War left the world divided. One of the things Tyrrany learned was that Elenar was the Queen of Clan Aries, the clan of Pain. The White dragoness would have been the princess and future Queen of that clan, had her mother not rejected her.

Instead, Tyrrany grew up as the daughter of the President of the Faeshrine Trading Company, the most powerful trading organization in the dragon realms. One of her only friends was Flame, the sone of two of the FTC's higher-ups. The two had trained and studied together for a long time. And soon, they were about to train yet again.

As the two young dragons got ready for battle, a large, Purple dragon appeared on a balcony high above the floor of the arena. Bergan.

The President looked down at the two dragons, an adamant expression upon his face. Flame and Tyrrany paid him their full attention when he spoke.

"This final exercise shall be conducted to test out the best of each of your individual and unique talents." He began. "Flame, you shall try your hardest to use that signature ability that belongs to your family. Tyrrany, you shall be attempting the mightiest magical ability at your disposal. I'm sure both of you know what I mean. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes." The two young dragons said in unison.

"Good."

Bergan waved a forepaw in the air. As soon as he did this, a massive group of wood-and-metal training dummies appeared out of the floor, at least several dozen. They resembled Apes, and growled and grunted just like the real thing.

"Begin!"

Immediately, the two young dragons leapt foreards, engaging the dummies in battle.

On the East side of the arena, Flame was handling his batch of dummies fairly well. He continuously jumped left and right, dodging their axes and clubs with little to no fault. At one point, he spun around a trio of dummies and slashed at their necks witih his talons. As those dummies fell to the ground screaming, they exploded into Red and Green Gems, which the Red dragon collected.

After this, several more Dummies charged at him from either side of him. So, with his magic fully charged, Flame called upon his Fire element and summoned a giant orb of Flames before himself, which was connected to his mouth by a small strand of fire. The young dragon then quickly spun in a circle, dragging the orb along with him. Upon impact, the dummies all burst into flames, and flailed about screaming. The young dragon then collected all of the Gems that fell to the ground, and continued fighting.

Despite all of this progress, Bergan wasn't focused on Flame. Instead, his attention was on Tyrrany.

The White dragoness was attacking the dummies ont he West side of the arena with brutal efficiency. At the very start of the battle, she used her Wind element to boost her speed to impossible heights. Tyrrany then darted across the arena, charging at each of the closest dummies in turn. Every time she did this, she also used her Earth element to heighen her strength to the point where she was able to break right through the dummies upon headbutting them, shattering them to pieces.

After this, Tyrrany turned towards several more dummies as they appeared out of the floor. She immediately unleashed a great blast of Lightning breath, causing several of the dummies to twitch in agony as they were held aloft by the magic. the dragoness then shook her head wildly, sending the dummies flying in all directions. Some of them crashed into more of the appearing dummies, while the others slammed into the stone walls of the arena and exploded upon impact.

As soon as those dummies were destroyed, even more appeared out of the arena floor, taking their comrades places. Tyrrany soon found herself surrounded on all sides as all of her enemies attacked at once. But she wasn't worried. Instead, she stood in place, calmly waiting for the right moment.

As soon as the dummies got too close for comfort, the whole world suddenly turned blue in color, and the wood-and-metal monsters suddenly slowed to an almost stop: The White dragoness had used her Time element. Immediately after this, Tyrrany ran amongst the dummies, burning them to a crisp with massive amounts of Fire breath. Once time returned to normal, the dragoness's enemies started writhing in agony as they were reduced to cinders before her and exploded into more Gems.

The fallen dummies were immediately replaced by even more, just like the last time. As soon as they appeared, Tyrrany charged forwards and unleashed a great torrent of Ice breath upon them, freeing them in place before they could take sudden moves. Just after this, the dragoness screamed, unleahing the Sound element to create an ear-piercing sonic blast. Bergan and Flame had to cover their earholes to avoid being disoriented. As they did this, the ice around the frozen dummies began to crack, until both the ice and dummies exploded into shrapnel, which soon became more Gems. The enemies that Flame had been fighting had become disoriented, giving the red dragon the time to roast them with another of his giant Fire orbs.

Bergan smiled with satisfaction.

"Excellent." He said, grinning. "Now, let's move on to something more challenging."

The Purple dragon waved his forepaw again, and the entire arena floor shook slightly.

Out of the center of the arena, came a gigantic, Rock-and-Metal dummy. It was built in the shape of a Giant Golem.

"Show me what you can do!" Bergan exclaimed.

The Golem Dummy began moving by making an attempt to shasm both Flame and Tyrrany with its fists. The Red dragon jumped out of the way as one of the fists came crashing towards him, while the dragoness stayed in place, a determined look in her eyes. The Golem's left fist came crashing down on top of her, demolishing the tiled floor beneath it and crushing Tyrrany's body.

Or so it seemed.

An instant later, the dragoness apepared in a cloud of Purple smoke high above the Golem's face. She then flew downwards and stabbed the Giant Dummy just between its two Fiery eyes. As her talons pierced the rocky flesh of the dummy, her Pain element exploded out of her appendages and into the beast's body.

The Giant instantly started writhing in agony. Tyrrany then followed up her first attack by clawing at the Golem's eyes, rendering both of them useless. As this took place, Flame took advantage of the Beast's distraction by setting two of its legs aflame. As the Golem started moving about madly in pain, Tyrrany drove all of her foretalons into the monster's neck. She then activated her Earth element again, and used her heightened strength to start tearing the Golem's head from its body.

The monster tried to stop the dragoness, but Flame flew up into the air and lit both of its foreclaws on fire, causing the beast more pain. A few more moments later, Tyrrany managed to rip the Golem's head completely off of its body, and tossing it high into the air. She then took to flight as both the golem's head and body crashed violently to the floor, exploding into a massive flood of Gems. The two young dragons came to a landing.

Flame cheered in success. Tyrrany, however, wasn't cheering. Instead, she was breathing heavily. Her heart beat rose to high level, and adrenaline started filling her veins.

Bergan saw this, and grinned once more. This was what he had been waiting for the whole while.

"And now, we shall move on the final part of the exercise." He declared. "This will be where you either triumph, or fail."

Tyrrany's body tensed as she heard this: Failure was not an option for her.

The Purple dragon waved his forepaw one last time. The entire Arena floor suddenly vanished, being replaced by a massive chasm. The two young dragons took to flight just before they fell into the chasm. Several giant Golem dummies apepared on a rising platform within the chasm: There wre four in all, one on each side around Flame and Tyrrany.

"Now, my dear," Bergan stated, "Show me the power at your disposal! Unleash the greatest of energies!"

At this command, the White dragoness began charging her magical energy, while Flame flew away from her, careful not to get too close. Orbs of various colors and appearances, twelve in all, started appearing around Tyrrany's body, and began orbiting around her. All the while, the four Golems did nothing.

As Tyrrany was charging away, several people walked through the doorway behind Bergan and stood next to him: An adult Fire dragon, a female cheetah, and three dragonflies, two male and one female.

"How is the exercise going, sir?" The cheetah asked.

"Silence, Mira." The Purple dragon scolded. "Do not distract my daughter."

The assortment of elemental orbs started cycling faster and faster around the dragoness, each one moving closer towards her chest in the process. In the meantime, Flame had flown out of the arena and came to a landing on the balcony besides the others.

"Do you think she'll-?" He started to asked.

"Hush, Flamaedelus." The adult Fire dragon interrupted.

"Sorry..."

The adult was Flamaedelus-Anthony the Third, Flame's father and the Vice-President of the FTC. To avoid confusion, most of the adult dragon's coworkers referred to him by his second name, Anthony.

Anthony's thick, Fiery Red hide and orange underbelly were hidden behind his thick Noble's Cloak. His Orange mane was thickly braided, as he always wore it, and his yellow horns were decorated in the same silver rings as he always preferred to wear. He wore Brown, cloth gloves upon his forepaws, and his near-black eyes focused on the young dragoness with increasing determination, the same determination that Bergan had.

After a great amount of orbiting around the White dragoness, the orbs finally entered inside her chest, and she began glowing with a Deep Purple aura. Her father smirked.

"Now, ATTACK!" He bellowed.

In that instant, the four Golems lunged at the young dragoness.

Right before any of them could strike Tyrrany, a gigantic blast of Purple energy erupted out of the girl's body like the lave from a volcanoe. The energy rapidly exploded outwards in all directions, engulfing all of the beasts within it in seconds. The force of the explosion caused most of the spectators to reel backwards from recoil, except for Bergan.

All the monsters were torn to pieces as the Purple energy blasted a million holes through their bodies, disintegrating them all into nothing. Soon, there was nothing left of them: not even Gems were left in the attacks wake.

As the remains of the Purple energy faded away, Tyrrany suddenly fell to the ground, exshausted. Flame and one of the dragonflies, a young, Green one named Arthur, flew down to the arena floor. The crowd of Higher-ups who had been witnessing the spectacle clapped in approval of the dragoness's abilities.

"You did great, Tyrrany." Arthur said, smiling.

"Yeah! You kicked ass!" Flame added.

"Thanks..." The dragoness responded, breathing heavily.

Bergan, who had been watching silently up until this point, began clapping along with the other Higher-ups, though much more languid.

"Congratulations." He stated, smiling. "It has taken you a very long time, but not only have you finally achieved full control over the twelve elements of magic, but mythical Convexity is now at your beck and call."

After Flame helped Tyrany back onto her feet, she looked directly up at her father.

"Does this mean that I'm finally ready, father?" She asked.

The Purple dragon ran a forepaw through his beard.

"Hmmm..."

The White dragoness eagerly waited for Bergan's answer. She was hoping, with all of her energy, that he would say yes.

Ever since Tyrrany found out that Elenar had somehow been brought back to life, the young dragoness wanted one thing more than anything else: to hunt the Queen down. The White dragoness wanted revenge for being abandoned all those years ago. However, Bergan wouldn't allow her to go on her revenge quest. He kept sayint that Tyrrany wasn't strong enough to fight Elenar. Eager to prove that she was ready, the young heiress trained her Physical and Magical prowess night and day for four whole years.

Tyrrany had always been a strange dragoness. The biggest thing that differentiated her from other dragons her age was her White hide. According to her father, White-hided dragons were among the rarest breeds in all the world, matched only by Black-hided dragons. The heiress was able to wield all twelve of the Elements of draconic magic: Most dragons could only wield one, whith the exceptions of Purples, who could wield four, and Blacks, who could also wield all twelve.

Tyrrany's magic was another thing that was different. When she was a hatchling and cub, she trouble controlling her magical energy. Whenever she tried to do even the simplest of spells, it would usually backfire, resulting in a small explosion and causing severe injury to _herself_ instead of the intended target. Eventually, she managed to get this problem under control, but she still struggled to wield even more than a little magic. As a result, she would often compare herself to Flame, who had normal control over Fire magic.

Over time, the dragoness's control over individual elements became much more stable and potent, though each one was still weak in comparison to the Red dragon's Fire. Bergan had often told his daughter that Flame's bloodline's Fire magic is head-and-shoulders above most normal dragons', so it wasn't a fair comparison. Still, Tyrrany continued trying to become as adept as the Red dragon.

Her ultimate goal was to not only be a master at each of the twelve elements, but to be able to wield and control the purple energy known as Convexity, which Bergan claimed was another rare trait of White dragons. Bergan wanted this same goal. And today, the heiress finally achieved it.

"So am I ready father?" Tyrrany asked, eyes pleading.

Bergan shook his head, which made the White dragoness silently gasp.

"I'll spend the next few hours thinking it over." He finally stated.

"But, father.." Tyrrany replied. "I want to..."

"I didn't say 'No', dear." The Purple dragon interjected. "It's a very big decision, for your quest for vengeance could be a very dangerous one."

"But I'm-"

"You've become very masterful with your magic, I'll give you that. But still, I need time to decide if you are ready. For now, you and Flame may enjoy the rest of your afternoon before the Ball begins."

Tyrrany sighed, hanging her head low. She was really hoping for an answer.

"Yes, father." She said solemnly.

The White dragoness turned and walked off towards the southern doorway out of the training arena. She didn't show it in front of the adults, but she was brimming with frustration.

"Hey, wait up!" Arthur shouted, chasing after Tyrrany.

Flame followed closely afterwards, but soon was the one leading the dragonfly after the dragoness.

Bergan watched as his daughter and her two companions left. Once they were out of view, he sighed.

"That girl grows more tenacious every day." He stated.

"Perhaps she **is** ready to confront her mother." Anthony suggested.

"That is my own decision to make." The Purple dragon snapped.

"I understand, sir." The Fire dragon replied. "Though I wonder what the right decision might be."

"I do as well..."

Bergan turned to walk out of the balcony.

"I am done here. I need to check on my little ones, as well as prepare for Saul's arrival. Come."

The Purple dragon made his way out of the arena, Anthony and the other higher-ups following close behind.

...

The two dragons and the dragonfly walked into the marble hallway and towards the locker rooms. As they walked, The red dragon felt like trying to lighten Tyrrany's mood by talking to her.

"You doing okay, Anny?" He asked.

"I'm fine, Flame." She responded coldly.

"Are you sure?"

"YES!" She snapped. Flame jumped back in shock.

"Sorry..."

The Red dragon stayed silent as the three teenagers approached the locker room area.

Flame and Arthur entered the Boys' locker room, while Tyrrany entered the Girls' room.

The locker room was composed of a blue hardtile floor and off-white walls. Various metal lockers were arranged in rows all across the room, and a few shower stalls were placed along the far wall.

Save for the White dragoness, no one was in the room. She approached her locker, the nearest one to the doorway without being directly visible through it, and pooled out the outfit she wore whenever she needed to go out in public.

First, she pulled on four long, Black wool stockings over all four of her legs. Each one went all the way up her leg to her torso, and had holes for the tips of her talons to fit through. She then put on a similar stocking over her tail, which also went up to her torso. Next, she folded in her wings and tied a Black cloak of the same material around her neck, which fell over her back and covered part of her legs. The cloak came with a specially-designed hood for the dragoness to hide her horns and hair behind.

After putting all of this on, Tyrrany pulled a satchel out of her locker. The satchel was made of Golden thread, and was emblazoned with the image of crossed Infinity Signs on the flat side of the satchel. After grabbing this item, the dragoness approached a mirror on the far side of the locker room. She opened the satchel up and pulled out a container filled with Purple makeup.

She spent the better part of an hour putting the makeup on every one of the White scales on her face and part of her neck.

Her father Bergan didn't want anybody knowing that Tyrrany's hide was White. He said that if anybody found out, they would hunt the heiress down and kill her as if she were a monster. This would happen because, in the past, almost all White dragons have been coldblooded, amoral, cannibalistic monsters. Bergan said that Tyrrany was an exception to this, but most dragons wouldn't agree. So, the Purple dragon had an outfit and makeup commisioned for his daughter to wear whenever she goes out in public.

As she grey Tyrrany had to keep getting new outfits. The only people who knew about her secret was Bergan, Flame, Arthur, Anthony, and a few of Bergan's closest subordinates.

Tyrrany hated this.

She wanted to just throw the makeup and stupid clothing away, and show the whole world her White hide. But she new this would have dire consequences: She would no doubt end up having to fight for her life against an entire city of people, maybe even an entire world. So, the heiress did as her father told her.

When she finally finished with the makeup, she put the container away and walked outside to meet up with Flame and Arthur.

The two male teenagers were standing just outside in the hallway, waiting for the dragoness to appear.

"Hi." She said quickly, feeling undignified.

"Looking good, Anny." Flame replied.

"Shut up, Flame." The now-Purple dragoness sneered.

"That's our Angry Anny!" Arthur smirked. Tyrrany groaned in contempt.

"Let's just go." She spat, walking off ahead. Flame and Arthur quickly followed close behind.

Anrgy Anny was Arthur and Flame's pet name for Tyrrany. The White dragoness thought that the two boys were idiots, but they were her best friends. In fact, they were her **only** friends.

As Tyrrany was growing up in Faeshrine, she didn't get along with other children very well. At first, when she was only a little cub, other kids made fun of the fact that she always wore a strange outfit and couldn't control her magic as well as the others. But the worst thing that she was mocked for was the fact that she always cried about not having a mother. She tried to fight back at first, but she was hopelessly outnumbered by the older and bigger cubs.

However, when she was six years old, and being bullied by a girl name Jenna and her friends, Flame and Arthur came to her rescue. Tyrrany didn't know what to make of the two boys at first, but eventually became grateful for their help. From then on, the Red dragon and Green dragonfly were the only two other kids who make fun of her. However, a lot of kids, especially Jenna, continued to mock the heiress, especially when her two friends weren't around. The White dragoness was left broken hearted.

And then, when the Tyrrany was twelve years old, a day came when an earth dragoness tried to yank Tyrrany's cloak off to see what she was hiding behind it. A new emotion flared inside the White dragoness: Rage. She immediately turned and, for the first time, unleashed a great blast of Fire breath from her maw, setting the other girl aflame. Unfortunately, the attack harmed Tyrrany as well, and both girls were rushed to the infirmary.

From that day on, the White dragoness trained herself, allowing herself to become stronger Physically and Magically. With this power, she began brutally attacking anyone who tried to harm her again. Soon, less kids made fun of her, and more kids FEARED her. Her father Bergan didn't approve of this behavior, and would often punish her if she got too out of hand. So, Tyrrany did her best to avoid most other young dragons her age.

Despite all this, Flame and Arthur remained as loyal of friends to the dragoness as they always had. They were the only ones that Tyrrany would, on occasion, open up to.

It was the middle of the afternoon in the city of Faeshrine as the trio of teenagers walked out of the arena.

Tyrrany watched as countless Moles and Cats went about their business on the city streets, while countless Dragons flew about to and fro in the sky. Far off to the West, the Faeshrine Trading Company Headquarters stood tall and proud over the other earthbound buildings. In the meantime, over a dozen massive floating platforms floated within immediate view in the sky, with several large office buildings built upon them. She could hardly see clouds behind the platforms as they slowly floated across the sky.

"So, where do you guys want to go?" Flame asked.

"Well, we could hang out at the Arial Gardens." Arthur suggested.

"Again?" The Red dragon groaned. "It's so boring there. Nothing to do."

"Well, I happen to **like** the Gardens, man." The Dragonfly snapped. Flame rolled his eyes. "The bellflowers are amazing this time of year, and there's plenty of butterflies to go around."

"Well, where do _you_ suggest we go, Tyrrany?" He asked the dragoness.

She sighed.

"There're only a few hours left before King Saul arrives." She stated. "And that means _He_ is going to arrive here, too."

Flame and Arthur frowned.

"Yeah..." The Red dragon agreed awkwardly.

"He's the last person that I want to see tonight." The dragoness continued. "So, I'm going to spend the rest of my free time as far away from Him as possible: I'm going to the Hideout."

"The hideout?" Arthur repeated.

"You two can come if you want, but that's where I'm going."

And with that said, the dragoness turned towards the North of the city and started walking off.

Flame flashed Arthur a quick glance.

"I guess we better go along, Artie."

The dragonfly sighed, shaking his head.

"So much for the Arial Gardens."

Flame pulled his goggles over his eyes and ran after Tyrrany, Arthur flying close behind.

The White dragoness walked across the city of Faeshrine, her two friends following close behind. At that very moment, an Earth dragon, one whom Tyrrany hated more than any other dragon close to her age, was rapidly approaching Faeshrine.

...

Three large, wood-and-metal ships were sailing across the Central Ocean.

The harsh waters of the sea crashed violently against the vessels as a nasty storm took place. The sky was almost completely hidden away by blackened clouds, and millions of droplets of water crashed violently against the decks of the ships. The winds blew harshly against the White sails of the vessels, trying as hard as they could to blow them off-course. The very air was partially covered in mist, making it all the more difficult to continue onwards. A multitude of Sailors ran about the boats, doing their jobs to prevent the vessels from becoming severely damaged.

Each vessel was large enough to carry up to seventy beings, Dragon and Nondragon included together. They all had Great White sails, which had the image of a Yellow, Inverted Circle: The Symbol of Clan Virgo. These vessels belonged to a man named Saul, former King of the Earth dragons, and current Commander-in-Chief of the military power of Aeroshard.

The Earth dragon stood upon the bow of the lead ship, staring off at the sea ahead with his Yellow eyes.

He was well within his late thirties. His thick, Lime Green hide was covered in a great, thick, Dark Red Cape, which had an Inverted circle emblazoned upon it. His brown beard was neatly trimmed short, while his mane was left thick and long. His thick, Emerald Green horns curled upwards towards the sky on the sides of his head. A pair of thick, Brown gloves covered his forepaws.

Four years had passed since the Dark dragons reappeared, and Saul's father-in-law Richteriel, the Earth Elder of Warfang and leader of the Supremacist group known as the Darkstalkers, was brutally murdered by the Black dragon Bane. When Bane's wife Elenar took power of the city, Saul wanted nothing more than to satisfy his thirst for revenge by declaring his own war against the Dark dragons. However, a suprising number of other Light dragon leaders stood up to defend Elenar, saying that they would fight against the Commander's people alongside Warfang's forces. Several of the Leaders seemed to be especially fond of one of Elenar's sons, a young Black dragon named Rune. Because that little Midnight-colored pest had gotten on so many of the leaders' good sides, Saul's plans were utterly destroyed before his very eyes.

So, as the Earth dragon was leaving the Coliseum, he swore a silent vengeance on both of Elenar's sons, swearing that he'd have both of them killed before they can grow up to reproduce. He also wanted Rune to be kidnapped and brought to him, so Saul could personally slaughter the Black dragon for ruining his plans.

Unfortunately, all of the Earth dragon's plans to silently get rid of them had been constantly failing, which infuriated him. And to make matters worse, time was running out: Rune and his brother Cyrus had surely reached puberty, which meant that they would soon be able to reproduce. If they weren't killed before then, the two Black dragons could impregnate dragonesses, and spawn even **more** Black dragons, which would create more work for the Earth dragon. If they were to be wiped out, it had to be as soon as possible.

As he stood upon the bow, Saul had become severely drenched by the neverending torrent of water splashing across his body. However, he didn't care: He was too busy looking onwards towards the North, where the three ships were traveling towards. Saul, his family, and several of his subjects were traveling to the city of Faeshrine, for a variety of reasons. One of the most prominent ones was to attend a Regal Ball being held to celebrate the Faeshrine Trading Company's fifteenth anniversary.

Saul and the FTC's President Bergan, the Ex-King of clan Libra, had been good friends and business partners for most of those years: The FTC would supply Aeroshard with goods and supplies, while Aeroshard supplied Faeshrine with Soldiers. Very soon, at that very Ball, one of the biggest acts of unity between the two cities would be announced.

But there was another reason that Saul was traveling to Faeshrine. One that the Commander would share with only Bergan himself...

"It won't be long now." The Earth dragon said with his gruff voice. "Once we get to Faeshrine, everything can begin."

"COMMANDER!" A Fire dragon behind the wheel of the ship called out.

"What is it?" He demanded.

"This storm is going to delay us from getting to the Northern Continent before Sunset, sir." The sailor stated. "We'll be lucky if we can make it within the next twenty-four hours!"

"Keep the vessel moving towards Faeshrine!" Saul commanded. "And quicken the pace, why dont you? We need to get to that Ball post-haste!"

"But sir! The ship might take severe damage at this rate alone." The dragon stated. "Who knows what will happen if-!"

"That's an order, sailor!" The Earth dragon bellowed. "Follow it!"

"Yes, Commander."

Saul turned to roar at the rest of his crew.

"Listen up!" He began. "I want all able-bodied Water dragons onboard the three vessels to start using their powers to lift the excess rainwater off the ships and into the ocean! IMMEDIATELY!"

"Y... Yes, sir." They all responded in unision.

"And in the meantime, I want several others of them to clear the way for us to see in this weather!"

"Aye aye, Commander!"

Saul turned around and walked towards the entryway towards the lower cabins of the main ship. He grimaced.

"Where is that boy when you need him?"

The Earth dragon pushed the doorway open and marched downstairs.

The Commander made his way through the wooden bowels of the ship, pushing past the occasional sailor who ran off on his way to his assigned duties. The aged wood of the ship's bowels creaked with every step he took, and the heavilly muffled sound of waves crashing against the ship's hull could be heard.

Saul walked past his wife Olivia's and sister Angela's personal quarters, and found himself walking towards the doorway that let to the Captain's office: Saul's office. He could hear voices coming from inside the doorway, and knew immediately who was inside. The earth dragon groaned.

"Of course." He muttered. "Always following his own rules..."

Saul pushed the doorway open and looked inside, eyeing the dragons in the room.

The Captain's quarters was one of the larger chambers in the main vessel. It was at the far end of the ship, and as such, the back wall had a massive windowpane running along it, which was protected by a thick, chainlink-esque barrier: The raging sea could be seen just beyond it. Several shelves with various trinkets were decorated along the other walls of quarters, and a large, Metal desk sat at the center of it, covered in various notebooks, quills, seafaring maps, and other such items.

All about the room, at least eight dragons of various ages and elements were chatting about various topics. Most of them were dressed in dirty bandanas and rags, and some were even carrying small weapons, like knives and daggers.. Whatever they were talking about, it would remain a mystery, for all of the young dragons looked upon Saul with shock and alarm. The Commander glared at most of them, but soon turned his gaze towards the center of the quarters.

Just behind the desk, there was a large, silk cushion, with a large wall to protect the sitter's backside, and a small hole at the base for the tail to slip through. The cushion was turned towards the back window, away from Saul. The Lime Green tail of a dragon was protruding from the chair, and a small, silver switchblade was being tossed into the air, caught in the hidden dragon's forepaw, and tossed into the air yet again. Two young dragonesses stood on either side of the Cushion, a Blue one on the left and a Red one on the right. They happily watched the hidden dragon's every move, and caught the switchblade for him whenever it fell slightly out of his reach.

Saul sighed.

"Johnathan." He stated blankly.

The hidden dragon stopped tossing his switchblade into the air, rotated the cushion around, and looked up at his father.

"Hiya, Pops." He said with a grin.

Johnathan was eighteen years old. The past thickness of his build had had slowly slimmed down a bit, and he had become taller. His Green hide was coved in a short, Dark Brown cloak. He had two sets of Emerald Green horns upon his head: two horns directly behind his eyes were thick and curved upwards, and two other horns were thin and bent at angles, sitting just underneath the first set. He had a short yet wild brown mane, which he allowed to become unkept. Two silver rings decorated each of his foreankles, and a large quantity of silver piercings dotted his horns and eye ridges. A Yellow, Inverted Circle was hidden behind his cloak, but its glow could be partially seen through the fabric.

Saul looked across at his son with irritation.

"Johnathan," He began, "you know very well that your... _friends_ aren't allowed in my quarters. In fact, it's only rarely that I allow **you** to come in here."

"You serious, Pops?" The younger Earth dragon asked, feigning astonishment. "Oh man, my bad."

Johnathan looked around at the other young dragons.

"Well, you heard 'em, boys and girls." He said, shrugging. "Better clear out now, before my old man blows his top."

Without a word, the other young dragons rushed past the Commander and out into the hallway. The Fire and Water dragonesses standing on either side of Johnathan lightly kissed each side of his face just before taking off, making him blush.

Soon, the two Earth dragons were alone in the quarters.

When it came to Johnathan, Saul was at an emotional crossroads.

The young Earth dragon was Saul and Olivia's only child, and as such was the Commander's only heir. Saul and Johnathan shared the same ultimate hope: To make the Dark dragoness Elenar pay for her husband's act of murder upon their relative Richteriel. Furthermore, once Johnathan had come of age, the Commander had wished for his son to enter into the military academy, so that the young dragon could have the same physical and mental training that Saul had.

However, despite the Commander's best efforts, Johnathan had ended up becoming more than a bit of a brat. The young dragon adamantly refused to join the academy, and hardly ever liked acknowledging that he was even of royal blood at all. When Johnathan was younger, he would often sneak out of Aeroshard Temple and become friends with the street urchins and vagabonds that lurked about the Temple outskirts. When he got older, he started forming his own gang of thugs in the city of power, and even gave himself his own nickname. Together, he and his gang were known as "Johnny D and the Crazy Aces." What the "D" stood for was a complete mystery to his parents.

The Commander sighed in contempt.

"Johnathan, we need to talk." He stated.

"About what, Pops?" Johnathan queried. "What's up?"

"It's about this gang of yours." Saul answered sternly.

"Oh, you mean the Crazy Aces?" The younger dragon asked. "What about them?"

"For too long now, you and your group of thugs have bee causing quite a number of problems for the citizens." The Commaner began. "Time and again, I hear reports about a group of teenagers, your 'boys', breaking into someone's business or place of residence, and performing acts of vandalism or other public indecencies."

Johnathan's expression weakoned slightly, but he still held a slight grin on his face.

"Yep." He replied, tossing his switchblade into the air again. "There're an aweful lot of suckers back home."

"SUCKERS?" Saul bellowed.

The adult dragon snatched the switchblade out of the air, causing his son to flinch.

"The people of Aeroshard are YOUR people, Johnathan!" The Commander roared. "I cannot stand how you willingly due harm to innocent beings! Beings whom you should be preparing to guide as their future ruler, no less!"

The young dragon stammered for a bit.

"Well, I..."

"You have been guilty of a large number of crimes, Johnathan." Saul interrupted. "Luckilly, up til this point, I have been able to have the blame get passed on to some of your older subordinates, since you were a minor when the crimes were commited. However, now that you are eighteen, you are now a legal adult by Draconic law. If you, or any of your gang members, commit one more crime in Aeroshard, I will have no choice but to have you thrown in prison!"

Johnathan gasped, and looked up at his father in fear. Upon seeing this, the adult dragon's wrathful expression weakened to a frown of disapproval.

"Do you think I want to do such a thing, Johnathan?" The Commander asked, finally calmed down.

"Uh, no, Pops..." The young dragon answered sheepishly.

"Of course not. You're the only son I have, Johnathan, and you mean the world to me. However, I am a Ruler first, and a father second. I simply **must** protect my people from any and all threats, even those in the form of my own family. And this gang of yours is a **great **threat to my people, which makes **you** a great threat to my people, at this rate."

"If you hate the Crazy Aces so much," Johnathan asked, "then why did you invite them on this little pleasure cruise to Faeshrine?"

Saul sighed.

"You will see soon enough." He answered. "And while we're on the subject of Faeshrine, there is a matter that needs bringing up."

The young dragon's eyes beamed.

"You're talking about _her_, right?" He asked, grinning.

"Yes." Saul answered, setting the switchblade down on the desk before Johnathan. "When you meet her again, I trust you will know how to treat her. You will be spending a lot of time with her in the near future, you know."

The young dragon's grin grew wider.

"Oh, I know, alright." He stated, chuckling. "And I can't wait to see my future Dad-in-law, too. That Bergan's always been a cool dude."

"Uh, yes..." Saul replied, uneasy with the use of modernday slang. "In any case, we will be arriving shortly. Go pack your things, and make sure that your 'boys' don't steal anything from the ship."

"Whatever, Pops."

"I'm serious, Johnathan." Saul scolded. "From now on, you're on thin ice. If you or any of your gang members perform so much as a misdemeanor upon anything or anyone under Aeroshard jurisdiction, you will suffer **dearly** for it. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Po-"

"And stop calling me that." The Commander interrupted. "I am your father, and you are to show me the proper respect."

Johnathan grimaced upon hearing this.

"Yes... Father." He said halfheartedly. "Whatever you say."

"Good. Now get going."

The young Earth dragon got up from the desk, grabbed his switchblade, and walked past Saul to leave the quarters. The Commander watched him go, a frown on his face.

_If I cannot stop him from commiting crimes, _he thought, _then maybe I can at least have him commit crimes against my enemies._


	22. Act 1, Chapter 2 FM

Act 1, Chapter 2

That same afternoon, in the city of Warfang.

Two Black dragons flew across the rooftops of the city of Commerce.

"Hurry up, Slowpoke!" One of them shouted behind himself, laughing.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Cy!" The other one protested, tailing just behind the first one.

They were Rune and Cyrus, the twin Princes of Warfang.

Four years. That's how long it had been since Rune started living in Warfang with his family.

In that time, the City of Commerce had changed dramatically. After the Malefor ordeal had been resolved, Warfang became the new hub of the Dark dragon race and its monarchy. Despite this, a large number of Dark dragons started travelling across the world, in order to find just how much it had changed in the last nine years. At the same time, many Light dragons, Moles, Cats, and other species started travelling to Warfang to set up new lives there. The giant black Fortress known as The Nexus, which was originally a safe haven for the few Dark dragons that remained, floated weightlessly above the city. It was used as a school for young Light dragons who were transformed into Dark dragons, and was run by a Dark Brown Memory dragon named Aegis, and his wife Lilith, a Dark Yellow Lightning dragoness.

Every years since the ordeal ended, many of the leaders of the various dragon cities and settlements made a yearly excersion to the city of Commerce, and a new Council of the Leaders was held each time. Word had spread about the fate that had befallen Rune thanks to the Darkstalkers' evil deeds, and the young dragon found himself ending up on good terms with most of the Leaders of the settlements. Much to the young dragon's chagrin, this also meant a lot of people kept giving him sympathy for living in such a dark period of his life for so long, as well as admirition for being able to cope. The Black dragon never thought he deserved so much of this.

_Things have gotten better, for the most part._ Rune thought to himself. _Can't everyone just drop it already?_

As the prince thought to himself, he started to fall behind. His brother noticed this, and turned around to complain.

"Will you move your ass already?" Cyrus complained. "We've got to check out the coup before it's dealt with!"

Rune flinched in surprise.

"Huh?" He shook his head for a moment. "Oh, right. Sorry, Cy!"

The Black dragon cleared his head and continued following his brother.

Both Rune and Cyrus had just recently reached the age of sixteen.

Rune had grown in height, and was also starting to become bulkier in build: However, he was still years away from achieving the muscular frame his father Bane had. His two large, Dark Grey horns had grown in length and width as well, and four smaller horns had recently begun growing from his lower jaw, similar to the ones his father had. Rune's Grey mane was trimmed so that it was the same length it always had been: He preferred it that way.

Cyrus had grown taller as well, but he was still significantly shorter than his brother. He was also much leaner than Rune: His frame was slender, and almost female in appearance. He had his four Grey horns, two which curled backwards atop his head, and two that were tusk-like in origin on his neck, neatly polished, as were his Magenta talons. A Dark Purple crystal hung around his neck, attached to a small chain. Because of all this, Rune and their friend Tina liked to point out how girly Cyrus looked whenever they could, much to his chagrin.

The two Black dragons were flying towards the Southern Gate of Warfang, where several pillars of smoke were rising from a mulitude of the buildings. Rune and Cyrus's mother, Queen Elenar, had dispatched a few of her finest warriors, a group known as the Deep Shadows, to investigate the area. Cyrus wanted to see what was happening, so he took off to find out. His brother tagged along, if only to make sure the shorter prince didn't get hurt in the process.

Eventually, the two Black dragons started hearing the sounds of a battle. As they got closer and closer to the smoke piles, the fighting grew louder. Down below on the streets, a large number of Wooden carriages had crashed into the sidewalks, and caused a severe pile up. Some of the carriages were on fire, and several Water dragons and Nondragons were running about in a panic, trying to douse the flames. A medical unit was on standby near the pile-up, and several medics were tending to several injured civilians, all of whom were dragons.

Without warning, an explosion erupted into existance, just behind the wall of smoke and beyond view.

"Damn." Cyrus stated, astonished. "What do you think's going on?"

"How should I know?" Rune replied, shrugging.

"Well, let's go find out, then!"

The shorter Black dragon flew through the cloud of smoke without a hitch.

"Hey, wait up!" His brother protested, chasing after him.

...

Two Silver-hided dragons dressed in Dark Grey robes, one male and one female, found themselves surrounded on all sides by enemies, all of whom were ready to attack at any moment. Several of their foes were already lying on the ground, slain from various blows all across their bodies, yet plenty more still remained.

The male dragon was Grail, and the female was Rose: Two of the Deep Shadows.

Grail was a Fauna dragon, in his mid-fifties. He had a silver hide and brown underbelly. His short mane was a deep Crimson color, and his five thick horns were Brown in color. His right eye was a Dark Red color as well: A large scar was etched across his face where his left eye should've been.

Rose was a Sound dragoness. Her hide was a lighter shade than Grail's. Her eyes and underbelly were Dark Blue, and her long, flowing mane was brown, part of which fell over her left eye. She had bright red, tusk-like horns, which extended out from under her beak-like snout.

The two Deep Shadows were surrounded by a large crowd of Cougars, all of whom were dressed for battle, and wielding either a Sword, or a Bow and arrow set.

The Cougars had launched an attack on the city gate, with the intention of killing as many innocent lives as they could. By the time the two Dark dragons had arrived with a squardion of soldiers to deal with the problem, the Cats had already succeeded in murdering at least five innocent dragons.

The soldiers had divided into two groups to take care of the Cougars that tried to head towards the Eastern and Western sides of Warfang, leaving Grail and Rose to deal with the group that charged the middle road. The two Deep Shadows had managed to do a decent job fighting them off at first, but soon found themselves overwhelmed.

"This doesn't look too good, does it?" The dragoness asked, though not sounding too worried. "Though I doubt appearances are valid, if we are lucky."

"If I were half the age I am now, it wouldn't be a problem." Grail responded. "I'm getting too old for this."

"I suppose Time hasn't been kind to you very much."

"Speaking of time..." The Fauna dragon stated irritably, "Where in the world is that man? You'd think a dragon of _his_ breeding would have all the time in the world."

"Now's not the time for complaints, Grail." Rose stated.

Without a word, the two Deep Shadows sprang forwards, heading into battle.

On one side of the battlefield, Grail was thrashing about the gang of Cougars. He moved as fast as his aging body would allow, and slashed at the bodies of his enemies with his talons. Several arrows were sent flying his way, but the material of his Dark robes prevented the projectiles from piercing his hide. At one point, the Fauna dragon roared upwards at the sky. A short moment later, a small pack of Hawks came flying into the area from surrounding parts of the city. They flew directly around Grail's body, and stayed alongside him as he moved about. Whenever the aging dragon got close enough to several of the Cougars, the birds would wildly claw and bite at the enemies with great ferocity.

On the other side of the area, Rose was unleashing a great barrage of ear-piercing shrieks, disorienting the Cougars momentarilly. The Sound dragoness then charged forwards and slashed at the Cats' necks, causing them fall over and bleed to death.

Unfortunately, while Rose was distracted, a Cougar managed to sneak up from behind and stab her left hindleg with his sword. As the dragoness cried out in pain, the metal blade pierced through her cloth robes and scales with little difficulty, and the garments soon became stained with blood.

Rose fell to the ground and clutched her injured leg, cursing the whole time, while the attacking cougar pulled his sword free to attack her again.

"GRAIL!" the dragoness cried out, her voice amplified with her magic to ensure her comrade's attention.

The aging dragon quickly spotted Rose's place on the ground and ran to her aid, his Hawks still providing protection. A small storm of arrows chased after him, but they weren't able to pierce the dragon's robes.

Grail slammed into the offending Cougar to knock him away from the dragoness, but the hasteful action caused pain to spring up in the Fauna dragon's foreleg. He crumpled to the ground beside Rose, sending his birds to attack any enemy who dared to attack the two injured dragons.

As the Sound dragoness clutched her wound, Grail struggled to regain his footing.

"Are you alright, Rose?" He asked, groaning from the pain within his own body.

"At the moment, no." She replied. "If help doesn't arrive soon, we'll be in a great amount of trouble."

As the dragoness said this, several of the Cougars managed to shoot the hawks out of the air with their arrows, leaving the birds to bleed to death on the ground. The Cats then walked towards the two Deep Shadows, ready to finish them off.

"Scratch that: If help doesn't arrive **now**, we'll be dead."

Just before the Cougars could attack the injured dragons, a loud voice bellowed at them all from behind.

"HALT!"

The Cats all turned towards the source, and were alarmed to find a third dragon standing a short distance away.

The dragon had a Golden hide, and appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He was incredibly tall, almost the same height as Grail, and yet surprisingly slim, but not feminine. He had a neatly trimmed, Black mane, which fell down to just the base of his neck on all sides. His eyes, horns, and underbelly were all a Bluish-Green color. He had six horns upon his head: four horns just above and behind his eyes which bent downwards at angles, and two more beneath his eyes near his neck, which grew backwards, but then bent inwards towards his muzzle about halfway.

The dragon was wearing the same kind of Dark Grey robes as Grail and Rose, and also had two Brown katana sheaths strapped to his torso, one on each side.

The Cougars eyed the stranger with surprise and anger, for he had somehow suddenly appeared before them. The two injured dragons, meanwhile, had looks of relief about them.

"Nice of you to finally arrive, Kiros." Rose commented.

The Golden dragon didn't respond to her. Instead, he focused his attention on the Cougars, who all started walking towards him.

"You are all under arrest for the crimes of vandalism and multiple homicide." He stated with a stoic voice. "Lay down your weapons and surrender now, and your lives will be spared. This may or may not be temporary, depending on the sentences you receive."

The Cougars didn't do as the dragon commanded. Instead, several of them readied their bows and unleashed a torrent of arrows towards him.

At first, the Golden dragon didn't even move. And then, in less than a second, the dragon grabbed the katana strapped to his left side with his right forepaw, and almost instantly sliced and each and every arrow into shards of wood.

Before any of the Cougars could do anything else, the dragon suddenly tossed his weapon upwards into the air. He then took off for flight at impossible speed, somersaulted in midair, and then came to a sudden stop, hovering in the air a few feet above the ground. He then grabbed ahold of his sheathed katana with his left forepaw, and then snatched his other blade out of the air with his other paw as it came flying back downwards. Lastly, he flipped both weapons into the air, sending them spinning in the process, and caught each one as they came down, only this time he held both swords via reverse grip.

"You brought this upon yourselves." He stated coldly.

Without another word, the Golden dragon charged forwards at his opponents.

None of the Cougars were able to keep up with their enemy's impossibly fast movements. He flew around them in a blur, dashing to and fro around them like a flying acrobat and slicing through all of their wooden weaponry. Once the long-range fighters' weapons were all out of commision, the Golden dragon proceeded to target the Cougars' arms and legs.

He wasn't making killing blows: Instead, he merely dealt just enough damage to the foresections of their limbs to prevent them from making vigorous movements without severe pain. Soon, every last Cougar had fallen to the ground, moaning in pain as they bled from their limbs.

With the enemies rendered pacified, the Golden dragon came to a landing on the ground, and resheathed his katanas, one at a time. He then walked over to Grail and Rose, who were still on the ground.

This was not the first time that Cougars had attacked Warfang. In fact, it was only one of many.

For the last four years, ever since it became known all-throughout that the Dark dragons had become the custodians of Warfang and the surrounding Veros Outskirts, and that Elenar was established as their Queen, the many tribes of Cougars were outraged. For the longest time, they had a long-standing animosity for Black dragons and all of their allies. So, the Cougars wished to invade Warfang and eliminate the Dark dragons who dwelled within, especially the royal family. So far, most of their attempts had ended in failure. But none of the Deep Shadows could safely say that their enemies will never succeed. That is why they fought with extreme prejudice.

The dragon approached the dragoness first.

"Do you need some assistance?" He asked, concerned.

"It would be satisfactory," Rose replied, "But my wound is far from fatal."

"What kept you, Kiros?" Grail demanded. "I would have expected a Time dragon to be on time."

"I needed to reserve my energy for the battle, Grail." The Golden dragon stated calmly. "I believed it to be a priority."

Kiros was one of the newer members of the Deep Shadows.

After Light dragons started living amongst the Dark dragons in Warfang after the Malefor ordeal ended, Elenar believed that it would be good for all involved in the Deep Shadows started recruiting new members of Light dragon origin. This made sense to most of the other members, since two of them were Light dragons already: Aegis and Lilith.

The Queen met Kiros while attending a gathering over in the city of Glenhaven roughtly two years ago. He was currently working as a street performer, using his talents to gather enough money to pay his bills. He was able to keep his Time-freezing ability going for a much longer period than most other Time dragons, allowing him travel across great distances in an relatively short time. This, coupled with his incredible acrobatic agility, and his masterful swordsmanship, made him a natural fit for Deep Shadow status.

The Golden dragon reached down to help Rose get up.

Suddenly, a young voice caught the three dragons off guard directly behind Kiros.

"That was amazing!"

In less than a moment, Kiros grabbed one of his katanas again, spun around, and prepared himself to strike whoever was sneaking up on him and his companions.

The Golden dragon soon found himself pointing his weapon at the face of a young Black dragon, who froze in surpise. Another Black dragon of larger height was standing a short distance behind the first one, just as alarmed.

"Whoa, easy there!" The shorter young dragon exclaimed, backing away.

"Your highnesses?" Kiros asked, only slightly shocked.

"What're you two doing here?" Grail demanded.

"We were just curious as to what was going on over here." Rune answered.

The Golden dragon resheathed his weapon again.

"This is a battlezone, not a playground." He stated.

"He's right." Grail agreed, finally able to stand on his own feet again. "Turn around and return to the Temple: It's getting late."

"If you say so." Rune replied. He turned to take flight towards the north. "Come on, Cyrus."

"Fine..."

The shorter Black dragon took flight and followed after his brother. Suddenly, however, he used his Wind element to hasten his speed, taking off like a rocket.

"I'll race ya home!" He shouted behind himself.

"HEY!" Rune exclaimed in anger. "Cheater!"

And with that, the Prince chased after his brother.

The three Deep Shadows watched as they left, the Fauna dragon sighing.

"Look at them." He said solemnly. "So full of life and vigor. It makes me feel all the more aged and decrepid just watching them."

"Indeed." Kiros commented. "Come, Rose: I'll bring you to Gale for healing immediately."

"Sounds good to me."

And with that, the three Deep Shadows left the area, while several soldiers started walking into the area to arrest the Cougars.

...

Rune chased Cyrus above the many rooftops of Warfang on their way towards the temple. Some of the citizens in the streets watched the princes as they went on their way: A few of them even waved to the Black dragons. Upon seeing this, Rune would calmly wave back for a moment, but then resume chasing his brother. Cyrus, on the other paw, liked to make a big production every time some citizens saw him: He would perform aerial flips, somersaults, barrel rolls, and a whole host of other maneuvers to show off. Some people applauded, while Rune groaned.

Eventually, the two Princes made it to the Warfang Temple.

Ever since Elenar had become queen of the city of Commerce, the Temple had become the royal family's permanent home. The building was still used as a place of worship, and as a school for young dragons, both Light and Dark, to learn and train. Rune and Cyrus didn't attend normal classes with the other young dragons. Instead, they were given private tutors to learn independently: Wraith was their Magic teacher, Grail was their Physical combat trainer, Aegis was their History tutor, and so on.

Cyrus was the first one to come to a stop on the Temple stoop. He climbed to the top of the steps, and then turned around and grinned smugly as his brother came to a landing a short moment later.

"I win!" The shorter dragon declared.

"Only because you cheated!" Rune protested. "AGAIN!"

"Oh, what?" Cyrus snapped. "Just because I can fly faster with my Wind magic?"

"YES!" His brother yelled.

"If I remember right, _you_ can teleport clear across the city."

"But I didn't!"

"You never said we couldn't use magic, Rune."

"And **you** never said we **could** use magic!"

The two Black dragons started to agrue back and forth a bit, until a disembodied voice startled them.

"Where the fuck have you two been?"

Suddenly, a large, Crimson dragon with Orange, downwards-curling horns appeared before them in a cloud of smoke. The dragon looked at the princes with annoyance in his poision green eyes.

It was Wraith, the youngest member of the Deep Shadows.

The setting sunlight illuminated the adult dragon's Dark Grey robes as he yelled at the two younger ones.

"Your mother's been wondering where you two vanished off to!"

"Hi, Wraith." Cyrus groaned.

"We were just checking out what all the commotion was over by the southern gate." Rune said.

The Crimson dragon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, just get inside already!" He exclaimed, pointing at the front doors of the Temple with a talon. The two Black dragons shrugged, and walked inside, their tutor following close behind.

The temple was hustling and bustling with adult dragons and Nondragons: most of the young dragons had left for home when the school day ended. When Elenar became Queen of Warfang, she had a chapel installed into the back of the Temple, where dragons could pray to the likenesses of both Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder, aka The Great Shadow.

As rune and Cyrus walked down the hallways of the old building, they saw two young dragons walking towards the opposite direction: A female and a male.

The female was Tina, one of Rune and Cyrus's closest friends. She was a Dark Memory dragoness: She was a young dragon who was transformed by King Bane into Dark dragons, alongside her parents.

She had a slender build, and stood about as tall as Rune. Her hide was a Dark Yellow color, and she had a Dark Grey underbelly. Her two thick, Bronze horns curled downwards just above her eyes, and her almost-Black mane was neatly trimmed short. She had Electric Blue eyes, which were filled with energy.

The other young dragon was another friend of the Prince's: A Fauna dragon named Chal.

Chal, which was short for Chalice, was fifteen years old, but this was contradicted by his incredibly large, thick build. His Silver hide and Bronze underbelly were partially covered by Black bandana wrapped around his neck. His four slener, Grey horns, two larger ones behind his eyes and two smaller ones behind his lower jaw, curled directly forwards towards his muzzle a short distance. He had a Crimson mane, which was trimmed extremely short.

Chal was Grail's grandson: He had lost his parents during the attack on The Hive nine years ago. The young Fauna dragon was also one of the many young Dark dragons who were placed into temporary slumber during Bane's plan to eliminate the Light dragon race. Since the dilemma ended, he had been living with his Grandfather once again, and had been training alongside the other younger dragons in Warfang Temple ever since.

As all four of the young dragons were getting closer to each other, Chal could be seen looking directly at Tina with his Ocean Blue eyes.

"So Tina, how's about heading out for a tour of the city sometime?" He asked.

"What for?" The Dark Yellow dragon queried.

"A little food, a little sightseeing..." The Faune dragon replied, grinning. "I know this lovely spot over by the park for a nice little picnic. So what do you say?"

"Hmm..."

When Cyrus heard this, he cleared his throat extremely loudly, surprising the Memory and Fauna dragons.

"Wha?" Chal exclaimed, nearly jumping.

When Tina saw the short Black dragon, she immiedately smirked, and suddenly ran forwards. Before he could react, the dragoness had tackled him to the floor.

"Gotcha, Runt!" She exclaimed, chuckling.

Cyrus squirmed arond, trying to get free of her grip, while Rune and Chal laughed at the sight.

"Tina, get off!" Cyrus demanded.

"You _still_ get beat up by girls!" His brother chuckled.

Tina turned her head and glared at Rune.

"What's **that** supposed to mean?" She snapped.

"Uh..." The Black dragon stammered.

The dragoness got off of Cyrus and lunged at the taller Black dragon. Rune vanished in a cloud of smoke right before Tina could land on him. She hit the tiled floor with a thud as the prince reappeared a few feet away in another cloud of smoke.

"Cheater!" The dragoness shouted, punching the floor.

Rune shrugged.

"You started it."

Cyrus got up and helped Tina to her feet. He then turned towards Chal and glared at him.

"Don't even think about it!" He exclaimed.

"About what?" Chal asked, acting innocent.

"About taking Tina to that park!" The shorter Prince stated.

"And why not, your majesty?" The Fauna dragon replied, grinning.

"Excuse me?" Cyrus demanded.

"I said, why not, Princess?" Chal queried.

"PRINCESS?" The shorter Black dragon repeated, taken aback. "I'm not a girl!"

"And what's wrong with looking like a girl?" Tina asked, glaring.

"Er... Because.." Cyrus stammered. "Well.. Because I'm not a girl, that's what!"

"But you **do** look like one." Chal chided.

"I DO NOT!"

"Do to!"

"DO NOT!"

Wraith rolled his eyes.

"Must you all behave like this?" He asked, irritated. "You're teenagers, not young cubs."

"We're just having some fun, Wraith." Rune responded.

The Deep Shadow groaned.

"Oh lordy... Not you too, Rune!"

"They may be older than they once were," A new voice interjected, "But they're still in their youth."

A Dark Grey dragon and a Dark Green dragoness, both of whom were wearing the same Robes as Wraith, walked into view from behind the Crimson drake.

It was Albanion, the leader of the Deep Shadows, followed closely by his mate Elza.

Albanion and Elza were now Elenar's top bodyguard and advisor, respectively. They had served under both Bane and Elenar in the past, so it wasn't a big change for them. However, during the days of The Hive's existence adnThe Nexus's reign, the two had to keep their relationsip a secret, although a few others, like Wraith, Bane, Elenar, Urobos, were aware of it. The Flora and Wind dragons were coworkers: dating had been deemed unethical for a long time. When Aegis was promoted to Deep Shadow status alongside his wife Lilith, Albanion asked Bane if he would make an exception for his best friend and his lover Elza as well. When the Black dragon King denied this, the two Deep Shadows were left deeply hurt.

However, near the end of the Malefor ordeal, Bane told Albanion to be a good father to any children he may have in the future, which was no doubt permission for the Flora dragon to finally take up the Wind dragoness as his official mate. Not wanting to go over the Black dragon's head, Elenar allowed this to be. Albanion and Elza spent the next two years in a period of courtship, and then finally married afterwards. Some time ago, Elza discovered that she would be laying eggs soon.

As Albanion and Elza approached the other dragons, the Wind dragoness took slow, careful strides, and she had an obvious baby belly.

"Hi, Aunt Elza." Cyrus greeted upon seeing her.

"Are you doing okay?" Rune asked.

"I am quite content." Elza replied. "Thank you, boys."

"There isn't any time for idle chatter." Albanion stated. He looked between the two Princes.

"Once the current trial is over, you mother wishes to speak to you two in the throne room immediately afterwards."

"Trial?" Cyrus queried.

Elza frowned.

"Quite recently, there has been a terrible murder." She said solemnly.

"What?" Rune shouted, astonished. "Who was killed?"

"If you wish to find out, head for the Throne room immediately." Albanion stated.

"Yes, sir." The Prince stated. "Come on, Cy."

"Sure."

As Rune and Cyrus turned to head for the Throne room, the shorter Black dragon shot a quick glare at Chal. Tina made to follow after the Princes.

"I'll see you later, Chal." She said back to the Fauna dragon. "And I just might take you up on your offer, if I find the time."

"Sweet." Chal made to walk past the Deep Shadows, talking care when passing by Elza. "Bye, yall!"

Soon, the three Deep Shadows found themselves alone.

"Sir." Albanion repeated, amused.

"Rune sure is well-mannered as of late." Elza stated.

Wraith grimaced.

"How come those two respect **you two** so much more than me?" He asked them.

"Well, they've known us for a much longer time than you." The Flora dragon answered.

"Plus, we're older than you are." The dragoness added. "The princes probably just think we're more experienced."

"That's a load, and you know it." The Crimson dragon stated, glaring.

Wraith had just recently entered his early thirties, while Albanion and Elza were in their late thirties. The Space dragon was just as adept with magic as they were, and had studied the most on all twelve elements of Draconian magic, and even knew a thing or two about Convexity. His expert knowledge is what got him promoted to Deep Shadow status, and the princes' Magic tutor, in the first place.

"My apologies, Wraith." Elza replied, frowning. "I didn't mean to offend you."

The Dark Red dragon rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I got places to go."

Wraith snapped is talons, and vanished in a cloud of smoke. The two other Deep Shadows exchanged glances.

"We had best be going as well." Albanion said. "You have an appointment with Gale."

The Wind dragoness smiled.

"Yes."

And with that, the two dragons continued onwards.

...

The trial had begun by the time the three young dragons arrived.

The Throne room of the temple was a large, stone chamber that sat somewhere beneath the Elders' chamber. The floors and walls were all carved out of the same Red stone, and a great number of small, magical orbs of fire, which illuminated the entire chamber.

Two great rows of wooden bleachers served as seats for the onlookers, while two other rows perpendicular to the othes were lined up along the far east and west walls: These were for the jurors to witness the events and decide the defendant's fate.

At the far end of the Chamber, upn a marvelous, Golden cushion, sat a Dark Grey dragoness with Blood Red eyes and glyphs shaped like crossed Infinity signs on each of her sides. Another Dark Grey dragoness, who was significantly shorter, sat to her left, while a large, aged Black dragon sat directly to her right.

In this order, the trio was Elenar, Queen of Warfang, Urobos, Rune and Cyrus's granfather, and Nerona, another one of the Deep Shadows and Elenar's close companions.

Elenar was wearing a well-woven, satin dress over her flank, and a Silver Crown sat upon her head, locked in place by her two back-curling horns. Her crown was inscribed with six symbols, one on each of the six sides: a pair of crossed Infinity Signs, a Lion's Head, a rippling Echo Pattern, a Lily Flower, an Hourglass, and a Cyclone. The Crown was also studded with one of six different types of Gemstones: a Diamond, an Emerald, a Ruby, an Opal, a Garnet, and a Turquoise.

Urobos was dressed in Black robes with a silver sash: He had become a dragon Elder, alongside the two current ones: Argos and Icarox. His Golden horns were well-cleaned, and his thick White beard was tied back in thick braids.

Nerona was wearing her Dark Grey robes, as was usual. She had her Crimson hair worn in the same style of braids as Urobos.

The three dragons were looking across at the person who was being tried for murder: A thickly built Wind dragon, who was known as Vordus.

Vordus was locked in Silver chains, and wore a brown muzzle upon his face. He never moved his glaring eyes away from the Queen.

Off to the side of the Throne room, stood two other dragons: A Lightning male and a Flora female. The Dark Grey dragoness was struggling not to cry as her mate did his best to comfort her.

Everyone listened as Elenar spoke.

"Vordus of Wind, you stand here on trial for the murder of a young hatchling named Telena, the daughter of Salem of Lightning and Angeline of Flora." She stated coldly. "At least six witnesses all say that, upon sight of their child riding on her mother's back, you charged forwards, blasted Angeline with your magic, wrestled her daughter away from her, and strangled the helpless baby to death with your bare talons. Do you DARE to deny this?"

The Wind dragon scoffed.

"Of course not, your Majesty." Vordus replied. "If anything, I'm rather proud of myself."

This sentence alone was enough to summon forth a great torrent of rage in the Queen.

"PROUD?" She bellowed. "What in the dragon realms would possess you to be proud of yourself for stealing the life from an innocent hatchling?"

"There is one all-imporant detail that you have neglecte to realize, you grace." Vordus stated.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Urobos demanded, sneering.

"That was no innocent child: it was a beast."

"Exuse me?" Elenar snapped.

The Wind dragon inhaled a small breath of air as he proclaimed his next sentence.

"The creature's hide was White."

In an instant, the Queen became silent. The crowd of dragons started to murmur amongst themselves.

"What did you say?" Elenar asked.

"You heard me well enough, your Majesty." Vordus answered. "The dragons Salem and Angeline, a Dark and Light, respectively, had conceived a White dragon hatchling. As many of us all know, you especially, my Queen, White dragons have been known to be nothing but cold-hearted, aggresive, sadistic, cannibalistic, psychopathic monstrosities. When I saw the foul creature riding atop the dragoness's back, I simply had no other choice but to end its life as soon as possible, lest the beast grow up to kill us all."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT MY BABY LIKE THAT, YOU BASTARD!" Angeline screamed through her sobbing.

"That woman is clearly out of her mind, your Majesty." Vordus stated. "She should have known better and smashed the egg as soon as she produced it, instead of hoping she could tame the wild animal as it grew up."

"SHUT UP!" Angeline screamed.

The Flora dragoness was about to charge at the Wind dragon, but a pair of soldiers rushed forwards and blocked her path. Elenar sighed at the sight.

"So, you believe you should be rewarded for killing the White dragon hatchling." She stated coldly.

"Yes, of course." Vordus replied, grinning. "After all, you should know very well what kind of abomination White dragons are: You are a descendant of Runileon the Wicked, after all."

"Very well." The Queen stated.

"What?" Angeline and Salem shouted in unison, astonished.

"Vordus of Wind," Elenar declared. "As a 'reward' for the murder of an innocent child, according to Dark dragon bylaws, I sentence you to life imprisonment, and mandatory castration."

"WHAT?" The Wind dragon exclaimed, horrified. "Have you gone mad?"

"Take him away immediately." Urobos commanded the soldiers in the room.

Without a hitch, Vordus was dragged away by half a dozen guards towards the far side of the Throne room. All the while, the Wind dragon cried out in protest.

"This isn't right! I'm a hero, not a murderer! This shouldn't be happening!"

Rune, Cyrus and Tina watched as the dragon was taken into the hallway and eventually out of sight, though his screams of protest could still be heard for a short time. After this, the trio walked towards the front of the chamber, while the spectators got up to leave.

Salem and Angeline walked up to the Queen, and bowed their heads to her.

"Th... Thank you, your Majesty." The Lightning dragon said gratefully.

"You are both welcome." Elenar replied in a stoic tone. "Although, I must also say you acted a bit foolishly."

"What do you mean, your grace?" Angeline asked, wiping her face with a forepaw.

"Taking your White-hided child out in public was a grave mistake, as was unfortunately proven. You should have either disguised your daughter, or never taken her out of your home in the first place. There are many Dark dragons with, as Vordus has shown, extreme prejudice towards White dragons."

"Not me!" The Flora dragoness snapped. "I loved Telena!"

"I said many, not all." Elenar said coldly. "But in any case, I must warn you: If you ever conceive another White dragon hatchling, keep it hidden from the public's eye, for its own sake. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The couple said in unison.

"Good. You may leave now. And you have my condolences for your loss."

"Mine as well." Urobos added, frowning. "I'm sure that The Great Shadow is looking after your daughter's spirit this very moment."

"Thank you, Lord Urobos."

During the past four years, and Dark dragons and Light dragons started integrating with one another, it was inevitable that, not only would most of them get along well enough, but a few of them started falling in love and marrying one another. With these unions, there came the occasional conception of things that frightened most Dark dragons to their very cores: White dragons.

In a lot of ways, White dragons are the equal, and opposite, of Black dragons. Both types are extremely rare, though the former is conceived when a Light and Dark dragon come together, while the latter is conceived as long as one parent is another Black dragon. Both types are able to wield all twelve elements of Draconian magic, but White dragons are also able to wield the mythical Convexity. Black dragons are always male, while White dragons are always female. Black dragons maintain order and are raised to be pacifistic, while White dragons are chaotic, violent, aggressive, and in some cases, cannibalistic.

Due to all these things, most Dark dragons are terrified of White dragons, and seek to kill them while they're vulnerable.

Salem and Angeline got up and turned to walk out of the Throne room. They passed by the three young dragons as they walked.

"Greetings, your highnesses." Angeline stated weakly.

"Hi..." Rune said awkwardly.

_These poor people: Losing their child so suddenly..._

A short moment later, Rune and Cyrus came to a stop before the three adult dragons.

"Hello, Mother." Rune said to the Queen.

"Hi, Granddad." Cyrus added.

"I wish you two hadn't witnessed the trial." Elenar said solemnly. "Murder is never a good subject to be spoken about around dragons your age, especially not you, Rune."

"It's alright, Mother." The taller Black dragon reassured.

Tina walked forwards and sat down behind the two princes.

"Good afternoon, your Majesty." She said to the Queen.

"Oh, hello, dear." She replied. "I didn't see you there."

"What did you need us for, Mom?" Cyrus asked.

Elenar returned her gaze to her sons.

"Well, for starters," She began, beginnig to glare. "Wraith tells me that you've been showing off your magical abilities in front of the students here at the Temple... **again**."

The shorter prince became nervouse.

"Uh, I wasn't 'showing off', so much as 'showing them what I can do'."

"That's the same thing, Cyrus." Urobos said sternly. "You need to learn some humility."

Cyrus sighed.

"Yes, Granddad..." He said defeatedly, his head held low.

Elenar turned to look at Rune, her gaze relaxing a bit.

"As for you, Rune: a letter recently arrived from Glenhaven. Hontus will be arriving here to pick you up at the end of the week."

The taller prince's eyes lit up. He had been waiting for a response from the city of Wisdom for days, now.

"Great!" He exclaimed happily.

"Are all of your belongings packed up?" Urobos asked.

"Of course."

"Good." Elenar responded. "Are you leaving your sword here, or are you going to bring it with you?"

"Uh..." Rune had troubly deciding.

The sword in ustion was the weapon that the Prince's father Bane used to wield in battle. The sword's blade was Silver in color, and decorated with Gold patterns. The Hilt was completely Black, with the image of a Blue hourglass etched into each side of the guard. A large Garnet gemstone was emblazoned in the sword's pommel.

Bane had left the sword for Rune to wield just before he was sealed in the Core of the World to keep Malefor's spirit imprisoned within himself. Since then, the young dragon had been trying to learn how to wield it properly.

"I'm not sure." Rune finally said. "I guess I'll decide by the time Hontus gets here."

"Alright, then." Elenar replied. "You two may leave now."

Rune, Cyrus and Tina got up to leave the Throne room.

"Have a nice day, your Grace." The Dark yellow dragoness said behind herself.

"Send my regards to your parents." The Queen replied, smiling.

"Okay!"

After the teenagers had left, Elenar let out a long, solemn sigh. She then turned towards Nerona, who had remained silent this whole time.

"Are you alright, Nerona?" She asked.

"I am perfectly content, Elenar." The Deep Shadow stated. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"I was afraid that the death of that White dragon hatchling might be uncomfortable for you."

Nerona smirked.

"Do not fret, Elenar." She declared. "I don't need to worry about the safety of my daughter, as long as she stays within these stone walls."

Urobos frowned.

"Speaking of which, how is she?" He asked, concerned. "I haven't seen her for days."

"My dearest Riven is currently learning to read thickly-edged runes." The Pain dragoness stated. "I'll bring her to you to check up on her as soon as it's convenient, if you wish."

"There's no need for that." Elenar replied. "I trust that you're able to care for your child on your own. We just worry about her, is all: She is like family to Urobos and I."

"That's very kind of you." Nerona said, somewhat halfheartedly. She stood up from her spot before the Queen. "I wonder, though: What would Bane think right now? I hope he wouldn't consider you a hypocrite."

Elenar was taken aback by this.

"Hypocrite?" She repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"You worry night and day about my 'unique' child, and yet you don't worry about the well-being of your own 'special' offspring."

Urobos glared.

"That is no way to speak to her about her firstborn!" He snapped.

Nerona only looked at the aged dragon.

"Predictable response." She turned to leave. "I need to get going: Riven is in need of my attention."

And with that, the Deep Shadow left the room. Urobos watched as she left, while Elenar sighed sadly.

"Bane..."

When Elenar's husband Bane or the True Dark Master, as his people now called him, sacrificed himself to stop Malefor from wreaking havoc upon the world, the dragoness thought she would die of heartbreak. Luckilly, she had her friends and family to help her cope with her loss. Nowadays, even though she still longed to have him back, Elenar remembered the Bane from her past: the one she fell in love with so long ago.

"I can barely belive it's been four years now." She said solemnly. "I wonder if he would be pleased with how I've led his people."

"If Bane was here," the aged dragon replied, "He would stand by every decision you've made thus far, even the less-than-grand ones."

"I suppose that's true..." Elenar stated. "But what about..."

"He'd have spent the last four years trying to contact Bergan." The Aged dragon declared. "He'd want them brought to live here. He was always like that."

Elenar smiled.

"Yes, he was, wasn't he?"

"He was a good man." Urobos stated. "I remember the day you two first met. It seems like it was ages ago."

"Yes..."

The two dragons sat in thought, reminiscing about the day when Bane and Elenar first met.

...

It was twenty nine-years in the past.

Bane was about ten years old.

His father, King Urobos, decided that he was finally old enough to go with him to the coliseum in Warfang to attend the Council of the Monarchs. It was customary for the Kings and Queens of each of the twelve Clans to bring along the heir to their throne, once they were old enough, in their parents' opinion.

Bane had been dressed-up for the special occasion. He was short young dragon, with a near-Black hide: It would begin darkening in a few more years. He only had two short, Silver horns: The ones upon his head that bent backwards. His Dark Grey mane was neatly trimmed so that it stayed out of his eyes. His horns and talons were well-polished, so that they shined in any source of light.

He wore a small cloak upon his back, which was thickly built and made of fine, Silver-colored, silk garments. A large image of a Blue Hourglass-shaped glyph was emblazoned on the outer side of the cloak, and it was held together with two White chains by the base of his neck. A short, Silver silk stocking was worn over each of his paws, all of which went up to about the halfway point between his ankles and his legjoints. Each of the stockings had holes that allowed the tips of his talons to slip through, allowing them to shine through the fabric. On the base of his tail and a short distance further down, were three large Silver rings. Various other, smaller rings decorated his horns, and two small, Silver baubles hung from the ends of the horns. Lastly, a Silver medallion was hung around his neck on a small chain, the image of a pair of crossed Infinity Signs etched into it.

When they arrived at the Coliseum, Urobos and Bane walked towards the chamber where the heirs of the clans went to wait.

The chamber was built underground, directly undeneath the arena where the Monarchs met.

It was a massive, finely decorated room, with all sorts of sculptures and portraits of ancient Kings and Queens strewn about. The floor was covered in a fine golden-colored rug, and the walls were made of sparkling white marble. Along the far wall was a long table decorated in a white cloth. All sorts of foods and drinks were prepared on the table, all of it made just for the heirs to have their fill of. About a dozen Mole and Cat servants stood at the ready, in case the children need anything else.

Urobos led his son into the room, the younger Black dragon staying directly by his side.

The adult Black dragon was thirty four years old. His silver beard was quite short, as was his silver mane. His Black hide was spotless, lacking ini the wornness that would come with age. He was also much shorter than he would eventually become, but he still towered in comparison to the short cub by his side.

Urobos was dressed in a fabulous outfit, fit for any king. A massive, Snow White coat covered his back, which was emblazoned with the image of a black dragon standing before a cycle of all twelve of the symbols of the birthmarks of all the clans. His great Silver-and-Bronze crown was held in place by his two shining, thick, Golden horns, which bent backwards like Lightning bolts. The Crown had twelve spikes, each one studded with a large Garnet. All four of his legs was covered by an elegant White-wool stocking, all of which provided room for his talons in the same way as his son's.

The Black dragon King and his son did not wear these outfit often: In fact, they were only worn once a year. The outfits were reserved for the special purpose of attending the Council: all other times, Bane and Urobos went without, save for the latter's crown, but even that was scarcely worn. Since Black dragons were known for having a lifetime of magical and physical training, they rarely wore clothing, as it only slowed them down.

When Urobos and Bane arrived at the entryway for the room for the heirs, he became nervous.

"What is this place, Papa?" He asked, stepping backwards a little.

Bane had never been outside of the Floating Plains, his clan's homeland, before this time, and as such was nervous to meet dragons of clans besides space.

"This is where you'll be staying with the other princes and princesses, until the Council's over." The older Black dragon answered, smiling at his sheepish son. "This is a great time for you to get to know the other children."

Bane looked around at the room.

There were ten other young dragons in the chamber, four princes and six princesses, all of whom were in the middle of either eating some food or chatting with the others. Most of them were slightly older than the young Black dragon.

One of the heirs, a Memory dragoness close to Bane's age, spotted him, and walked up to talk to the prince.

"Hi!" She greeted happily.

The dragoness had a Pink hide and a light pink underbelly. She had a short build: She was at least a half a head smaller than Bane. A Pink headdress sat between her backcurling Yellow horns, which was emblazoned with a Crab symbol, and studded with a large Pearl.

She had Brown eyes, a beaklike snout, and a Royal Blue mane, which was worn backwards and tied with pink ribbons. A gold necklace with a Red Gem in the center hung around her neck, a Purple glyph, in the form of a large crab, was imprinted on each of her back hind legs. A short, Rube red skirt was worn upon her hindquarters.

Upon seeing the strange dragoness, Bane backed up behind his father, afraid. Urobos laughed upon seeing this. He put a paw behind his son and scooted him fowards.

"Stop it, Papa!" He protested.

"Don't be shy, ma'boy." The adult dragon said. "Go on, talk to her."

Bane looked directly at the Pink dragoness, who was patiently waiting for an reply, and gulped; He still very shy.

"Uh, hello..." He said, blushing. "I'm Bane."

"I'm Sarah." The princess replied, smiling. "I'm the Princess of Clan Cancer."

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah." The young Black dragon stated.

"There you go." Urobos asked, chuckling. "Talking to other kids isn't so hard, you see?"

The adult dragon turned around to walk back the way he came.

"I'll be back to pick you up when the Council meeting is over, okay Bane?"

"Alright, Papa." Bane answered, waving goodbye.

"Have fun, ma'boy."

As Urobos walked away, Bane turned to face Sarah again.

"So, what now?" He asked.

"Let me introduce you to the others, Bane!" Sarah exclaimed happily. She grabbed Bane's forepaw and practically dragged him forwards.

...

As Bane met several of the other Princes and Princesses, he noticed how each one had their own hide color and strange birthmark somewhere on their body, similar to the Hourglass symbol on his upper forelegs.

One of the first of the children he spoke with was the Princess of Clan Pisces; a Water dragoness named Nymph.

Nymph had a Ocean Blue hide, and a Dark blue underbelly. Her Dark Blue mane was worn in a small bunn inbetween her Silver horns. a small, Tear-shaped glyph could be seen by her left horn. She had a pair or Maroon eyes, which were directly above a short beaklike snout, similar to Sarah's. She seemed to be a few years older than Bane: Roughly twelve or thirteen. A long, Deep-Blue dress dotted with silver half-hoons covered her torso, and a short, ruby-red scarf was worn around her neck.

"Uh, hello." Bane said awkwardly. "I'm Bane, of Clan Capricorn."

When she spoke, she held her snout upwards in the air, and she eyed Bane sucpiciously.

"Pleased to finally make your acquantince, Black dragon." She said, sounding snooty.

"Finally?" Bane repeated, confused.

"A few of us, myself included, have been wondering if we'd ever see you appearing at these Council meetings." Nymph stated. "Some even wondered if Lord Urobos even **had** a son."

"Well, he did." The Black prince replied.

"Then where have you been, then?" The Water dragoness demanded.

"Well, uh... Papa didn't think I was old enough to come here before this year." Bane stated.

"Is that so?" Nymph asked. "Well, _my_ father has been bringing me to these Council meetings since I was five. In fact, I was the youngest of all to start arriving."

"That's nothing to be proud about, Nymph!" Sarah snapped. "It's not like you're special because of it!"

"Well, it was a good three years before any of the other heirs started coming." The Water dragoness stated smugly. "So I'd say it is."

"Oooh, you jerk!"

"Whatever the case, I'm here now." Bane declared. "And I don't want to start arguements, and I don't think you do either."

Nymph sighed, shaking her head.

"If you say so." She stated. The Blue-hided princess then turned to walk away.

After meeting Nymph, Bane was introduced to several of the other heirs. There was Aether, the prince of Clan Sagittarius, Hemlokk, the prince of Clan Srorpio, Pan, the princess of Clan Leo, among others. Most of them were friendly enough.

But then, Bane met Saul.

The Prince of Clan Virgo was roughly fourteen years old: The oldest heir of all. He had an incredibly buff, thick Lime Green hide, which was covered by a Red cape. He had a ragged Brown mane, which was braided into Bronze rings. His upwards curling, Emerald Green horns were decorated in various Bronze rings, each of which had a Sardonyx embedded into its side.

The Earth dragon was standing before the food table when Bane walked up to him. The older Prince lookd down at the other one, smirking.

"Who's this pipsqueak?" He queried.

"I'm Bane." The small Black dragon answered nervously. "I'm the Prince of Clan Capricorn, the Space dragons."

The Green dragon scoffed.

"I figured as much." He stated. "Only Black dragones ever run _that_ stupid clan."

Sarah got between the two princes.

"You should be nice to him, Saul." She demanded. The Earth dragon cocked an eye.

"Why, exactly?" He asked.

"Because he didn't do anything to bother you!" The Pink dragoness answered, glaring. The Green Prince shook his head.

"No, no, no." He replied. "What I mean is, why exactly is Clan Capricorn run by **only** Black dragons?"

Bane gulped. He rcounted the old story his father used to tell him when he was younger.

"Well, because the royal family of Clan Capricorn is descended from The Great Shadow."

"That's a load of bullshit." Saul snapped. "The Great Shadow doesn't exist."

"She does to!" The Black dragon yelled. "And she married the Purple dragon Spyro. He's my ancestor too."

"That's an even BIGGER load of bullshit!" The Earth Prince exclaimed. "The Great Lord Spyro wouldn't stick his manhood into a black-hided beast!"

That comment made Bane angry. He didn't know what the older Prince meant by "manhood", but nobody insults The Great Shadow like that. The Black dragon reached forwards to shove Saul over, but the Earth dragon was too big to even budge.

Even though the attempt was a failure, Saul still got enraged that Bane even tried at all.

"Why you dirty little punk!"

The Green dragon was about to attack the shorter one, but suddenly a small, Dark Grey dragoness dressed in a red skirt stepped up next to Bane.

"Leave him alone, you jerk!" She yelled. "And The Great Shadow is real!"

The dragoness had Black hair that fell behind four silver horns: Two that bent backwards on her head, and two smaller ones that were tusk-shaped behind her jaw. She had a pair of red, crossed Infinity Signs on each of her sides, partially hidden by her dress. A small tiara rested upon her head.

The dragoness glared up at Saul with her Bloor Red eyes.

"Get out of the way, Elenar!" The Earth Prince yelled.

"No!" She argued. "Why are you picking on him?"

"Because his old man and his Granddad think they're sooo much better than the rest of us. Those Black dragons are always bossing the other Clan leaders around, like they own the place!"

"That's because they're the ones responcible for keeping the Councils organized!" The Dark Grey dragoness snapped.

As the two argued, Bane noticed something strange.

A young Purple dragon with three horns, close to his age, suddenly appeared standing to Saul's right side, just outside of the Green dragon's peripheral vision. When the Black dragons saw him, the Purple one put a talon over his lips, signalling to Bane not to give his presence away. The other kids around the chamber kept quiet too. And the servants had all currently left the room.

Bane was confused. What was going on?

The strange dragon quietly picked up a slab of meet from the table, and threw it full force at the back of Saul's head. It smacked the Earth Prince across the back of his neck, causing him to gasp in pain. He turned towards his right, growling, but the Purple dragon had vanished just before the Green one turned his head.

"Huh?" Saul asked, confused.

A split-second later, the Purple dragon reappered on the Earth Prince's left side, clutching an appled in one of his front talons. A grin was upon his face as he threw the apple against Saul's head. He vanished just as the Green dragon turned around to face his attacker again.

The Dark Grey dragoness was struggling not to laugh, but most of the other kids in the room didn't bother holding back.

"Damnit!" Saul roared. "I know it's you, Bergan! Stop throwing shit at me!"

Suddenly, the Purple dragon appeared right in-between Saul, Bane and the Grey girl, causing all three to jump in surprise.

"Let me ask you a qustion." The strange dragon began. "Do you really think it's wise to attack another person's heritage? You don't have the right to question the Black dragons' divine right to rule as descendants of both the Legendary Hero Spyro and Lady Cynder."

"Who asked you?" Saul demanded.

"No one, really. I just saw you making outrageous insults like you had a right to do so. I'm pretty sure you're awarw that you were conceived when your father Gaius mated with a harlot."

The Earth Prince stood dumbstruck.

"H... How do you know that, Bergan?" He stammered, horrified. The Purple dragon grinned.

"Oh, I asked around, and gathered lots of bits of information. I also know that your father tried to forget that you existed, only to be forced to take you in when he ran into some legal trouble a few years back. And then there's the fact that he got into a little... accident, which rendered his 'reproductive organs' useless, thus making you, a bastard son, the only one able to take the throne, much to his chagrin and embarassement."

"SHUT UP!" Saul roared.

The Green dragon tried to charge at the Purple one, but the latter suddenly moved to Saul's right before Bane could blink. He then stuck his foreleg out right in front of Saul's, causing him to trip and fallover. As the Earth dragon hit the floor, the Purple one stood on top of him, forcing his face to the floor."

"When I let go of you, Saul, you're going to apologize to the Black dragon prince for the trouble you've caused, and leave him alone for the rest of the day. You will never tell anyone what happened a few minutes ago. Understood?"

Saul grimaced.

"You think you're so hot, just because you're a Purple dragon!" He yelled.

"IS IT UNDERSTOOD?" The Purple dragon roared.

"Fine! I give!"

The strange drapon let Saul get up, and the Green Prince looked directly at Bane.

"Sorry." He said halfheartedly.

He then turned and walked away, grumbling. Bane and the Dark Grey dragoness walked up to the Purple dragon. That latter faced them, smiling with a gleam in his Blood Red eyes.

"Don't mind Saul." He began. "He can be a bit of a brute, what with his upbringing. I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble, Black one."

The Purple dragon extended a paw to Bane, offering to shake.

"By the way, I'm Bergan, heir to Clan Libra. Pleased to make your acquaintince."

Bane shook Bergan's paw, smiling.

"I'm Bane." He said.

"That reminds me." The Dark Grey dragoness replied, smiling. "I'm Elenar, the Princess of Clan Aries. It's nice to meet you, Bane."

"It's nice to meet you too, Elenar." Bane responded. He then turned his attention back to Bergan. "How did you do all that stuff?"

"Oh, you mean what I did to put an end to Saul's rampage before it began? It was Time magic."

"Time Magic?" The Black dragon asked, taken aback. "But you're not a Time dragon. Time dragons are Golden."

"Purple dragons are able to wield multiple elements. Surely you knew that, what with being a descendant of Lord Spyro, no?"

Bane ran a paw through his mane.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I should've known that." Bergan chuckled.

"And technically, I _am_ a Time dragon. My clan _is_ Clan Libra, after all. Have a look at this..."

Bergan rose his left forepaw up to Bane's eyelevel. He could see a small, Red glyph in the shape of a Pair of scales directly on Bergan's palm.

"Oh, I see..." Bane stated.

"It's not very obvious, so I understand that you didn't think I was an heir upon sight."

Elenar giggled.

"You talk funny, Bergan." She said. Bergan grimaced.

"This is how I was raised to speak." He responded. "My father Kronos always says to behave in a civilized and educated manner. I didn't enjoy subduing Saul, but I had to do so to put an end to future violence. Diplomacy had already failed."

"Elenar's right: You **do** tlak funny." Bane stated The Black and Grey dragons started laughing, while the Purple one rolled his eyes.

"By the way..." Bane began, once his laughter had ceased. "What's a harlot?"

Bergan's eyes lit up in shock.

"Um, I'll tell you when you get a little older. I'm not even supposed to know."

...

For the next few hours, Bane spent some time talking with his new friends Bergan and Elenar. Sarah came back over to him, and got included as well. The four young dragons talked about various things. Eventually, Bergan started talking about the different things he could do with magic. He asked if Bane could do the same things yet, but the latter said he was still learning to use his elements.

Eventually, the council ended, and the Monarchs started arriving to pick up their respective children.

The first one to be picked up was Bergan. His father was a Golden-hided dragon named Kronos.

"Bergan, Time to leave." He shouted over to his son.

"I'll be right over, father." The Purple dragon replied. The Time Prince turned to the others and grinned.

"It's been a pleasure, my friends. I hope we meet again soon."

"Bye!" The other three said.

Once by one, the other childer were picked up by their parents, until only Bane, Elenar and Saul remained.

The Earth prince glared at the two younger heirs.

"You may think that you've evaded trouble," He sneered down at Bane, "But rest assured, I'm gonna kick your Black-hided rear all the way to-."

"SAUL!" A great and powerful, deep voice roared.

The Earth prince's eyes instantly flared with fear and alarm, and he and the two smaller dragons all turned towards the entrance of the room.

Just in front of the entryway stood the Earth King. Gaius.

Gaius had Grey eyes, a Lime Green hide, and an Emerald Green underbelly. His thick, muscular hide was covered in various scars from countless battles. He had a bushy Black beard upon his thick jaw, and a wild Black mane that fell down to his neck. He had six thick, Sardonyx horns upon his head; two above his eyes, two just behind his eyes, and two underneath his eyes, and all of them curled inwards towards his neck, like three thick halos. A yellow Glyph in the shape of an Inverted Circle glowed upon his back.

The dragon wore a thick cape made of various animal skins over his torso, and a thick fur lining decorated the outer side of it. A large, Bronze Crown was worn upon his head, which was emblazoned with a mutitude of Sardonyx Gemstones. A nasty scar ran along most of his underside, stretching across the part of his belly that was between his hind legs, and partially down his tail.

Just behind the Earth King stood Eliza, the Queen of Clan Aries, and Urobos. The Green adult glared directly at his son.

"Y... Yes, father?" He asked fearfully.

"We're leaving." Gaius stated. "**Now**."

"Okay..." Saul slowly flashed a glare at Bane, and then walked towards his father, trembling with every step.

Gaius turned around just as his son walked up to him, and the two Earth dragons proceeded to leave the chamber.

"I wish you a safe journey, Gaius." Eliza stated.

"**Likewise.**" The Green adult sneered, not looking at the Queen. Urobos frowned at this.

Once Gaius and Saul had left, the Black and Dark Grey adults turned towards their children.

"Bane, it's time to go." Urobos stated.

"Elenar, dear, come on." Eliza called sweetly.

The two young dragons walked up to their respective parents at the same time. Urobos smiled.

"What have we here?" He asked.

"Elenar and I are friends, Papa." Bane replied.

"Is this true, dear?" Eliza asked.

"Uh-huh."

The four dragons turned and walked out of the chamber as the servants began cleaning the room. The monarchs exited the Coliseum and entered the outside city.

Right before teh two Capricorn dragons went a different way than the Aries dragonesses, Urobos turned to Eliza to speak to her.

"It was good seeing you again, Eliza."

"Likewise, Urobos." The Grey Quen replied. "I pray that The Great Shadow grants you and your son a safe journey home."

"I wish the same for you and your daughter."

"Goodbye, Elenar." Bane said to the Princess, sadly.

"I'll miss you, Bane." She responded, just as unhappy.

"Don't worry, dear." Her mother said reassuringly. "You'll see him again."

"And you'll see Elenar again, Bane." Urobos added.

"Okay."

And with that, the four dragons went their separate ways, the two children waving to each other as they parted. That was the start of their friendship.

Years later, that friendship would blossom into love.


	23. Act 1, Chapter 3 FM

Act 1, Chapter 3

Rune walked through the hallways of the Warfang Temple, heading for his personal room.

As he walked, he passed by the occasional guard, soldier, or scholar, all of whom saluted him upon sight.

"Greetings, your Highness." They would say.

"Uh, Hi..." The Black dragon would awkwardly reply.

Eventually, the prince arrived at the metal doorway that led to his bedchamber, a pair of Cat guards, a Cheetah and a Lion, standing on either side of it.

"Hello." Rune stated as he approached the door.

"Hello, your grace." The Guards replied, both of them saluting.

"Right..." The young dragon pushed the door open and stepped inside as the two Cats resumed their positions.

The Prince looked around at his room as the door shut tight behind himself.

Rune's chamber was fancier than the one he had in Glenhaven, but wasn't as extravagant as one would expect. The walls and floor were made of the same Red stone as most of the other hallways of the temple. A large, Silver-colored mattress was spread out over on the east side of the chamber. On the opposite side stood a large, wooden dressed, with a large mirror placed upon it. On the far end of the chamber was a large pair of Glass doors, which led to a balcony beyond.

A bookshelf and a small desk stood over in the corner of the room, with a big, thick tome entitled "The suffering of Annabell" left open about halfway through sitting upon the desk. Various knick-knacks and sundries dotted the dresser and other shelves in the room, the most prominent being a small, Mahogany music box and a set of music Crystals sitting upon the dresser: Gifts from Rune's foster brother Blankridge.

Rune sighed with satisfaction.

Ever since he started living in Warfang for part of the year, the Black dragon couldn't help but enjoy this way. He had gotten to enjoy the life of a prince he used to live back on The Hive: He was able to read all the books he would ever want, he was able to travel around to see the full world from time to time, and best of all, he didn't have to hide his Black hide out of fear anymore.

However, being a prince wasn't without its trade-offs. When Rune is in Warfang, just about everyone he meets bows to him and calls him "Your Highness" or "Your Grace", which made him feel more than a little awkward. Furthermore, the Prince was often forced to dressed in ridiculously uncomfortable cloaks and jewelry from time to time, and most of the hours of the day, Rune had to attend private tutoring sessions.

But other than that, it was pretty okay living as Royalty again. And besides, whenever he was in Glenhaven, he lived almost the same kind of life as he had before the Malefor Ordeal changed everything, so Rune didn't have much to complain about.

The Prince walked over to his dresses, smiling.

"I wonder how long it'll be until be until the Festival begins..." He wondered out loud.

The young dragon pulled a calendar out of his drawer and looked upon it, counting the days between the current date, and an upcoming Holiday that Rune had been awaiting for the past five years.

The Day of the Bonds.

"One, two, three..." Rune stated, moving his talon over each dateblock. "Aha! It won't be long now!"

The Day of the Bonds was an ancient celebration that was held in almost every Dragon city and settlement for hundreds of years. It was a holiday celebrating the point in history when the first dragons in the Dragon Realms first found their mates. Every five years, a massive festival was thrown in almost every Dragon city and settlement all across the Realms. Rune wasn't going to be able to attend the one in Warfang, but he'd be able to celebrate with his family and friends in Glenhaven, especially his favorite dragoness in all the world: Nellie.

Ever since the Malefor Ordeal ended, Rune and the Water dragoness had become boyfriend and girlfriend. The two young dragons promised each other that they'd spend the entirety of the Day of the Bonds together, and since the Holiday was getting closer and closer, Rune had become nervouse. But, he now knew that Hontus, his Guardian whenever he spent time in Glenhaven, was well on his way, so there was nothing to worry about.

"I can't wait to see her." Rune stated happily. "I think I'll get her something as a gift for the Day..."

In a short moment, someone scoffed at the Black dragon. And then, the Prince heard a voice inside his mind: His own voice.

_**Don't waste your money, you hopeless romantic.**_

Rune knew this voice all to well.

"Runefor..." He stated solemnly.

Four years ago, when Malefor took over Rune's body, the Purple dragon saw it fit to split the young Prince's mind into two, in an attempt to separate him from his weaknesses. As a result, two independant beings were created: Rune, and his White-hided doppleganger, whom the Dark Master named Runefor.

When the Evil one was defeated, Runefor stayed behind, since his mind was bound to Rune's soul in the same way the the Black dragon's mind was. And ever since then, the White dragon lurked inside his head, serving as a reminder of how the Prince had been tricked into becoming Malefor's puppet.

"What do **you** want?" Rune demanded.

_**I'm just stating my opinion that you shouldn't spend every last spent you have on Nellie,**_ the Demonic dragon replied.

"But I hardly ever get her anything too expensive." The Prince stated. "I feel bad about it, and I want to do more for her."

_**Oh, you act like she deserves it.**_

"Well, She does. She's the most-."

_**Oh, shut up! I don't give a damn.**_

Rune growled.

"You're lucky I can't see you." He spat.

_**Is that a fact? Well, have yourself a look in the mirror and have a looksy at your better half.**_

"What?"

_**Just do it, idiot.**_

Sighing, the Black dragon turned his gaze upwards towards the mirror. A moment later, he gasped in shock, jumping backwards a short distance.

In the mirror, Rune saw himself. However, his reflection's eyes were completely Yellow, with Demonic Irises. The prince's reflection was also grinning at him, even though the real dragon did no such thing.

"How are you doing that?" Rune demanded.

_**I'm not about to tell you.**_ Runefor stated smugly. _**You'll just have to figure it out on your own.**_

The Black dragon glared at his reflection and other self, which chuckled.

_**Oh, and by the way: You MIGHT want to consider bringing along the sword. It'll prove to be useful, if you aren't too stupid to remember everything Kiros has taught us.**_

Rune flashed a quick glance over to the side of the dresser.

Over on the floor, stood a large longsword.

The sword's blade was Silver in color, and decorated with Gold patterns. The Hilt was completely Black, with the image of a Blue hourglass etched into each side of the guard. A large Garnet gemstone was emblazoned in the sword's pommel.

"What makes you think that thing will be of any use?" The Prince asked.

_**Well, if you weren't such an oaffish twit, you'd be able to use it effectively in battle, in case anyone tries to kill you.**_

"Who would-?"

_**I'm not going to waste my time explaining.**_ The Demonic-eyed dragon interrupted. _**For now, I'm getting pretty damn tired. I'll deal with you later: I'm going to sleep.**_

After a moment, the reflection's demonic eyes changed into a copy of Rune's normal eyes, and the grin faded into a frown: Rune's frown.

Runefor had vanished from the Black dragon's mind.

The Prince sighed.

"I'm going to have to do something about him."

And with that, Rune resumed looking over his calendar, thinking about all of the fun he was going to have on the Day of the Bonds.

...

The sunset was approaching.

Tyrrany, Flame, and Arthur had traveled to the northernmost edge of the city of Faeshrine, stopping at an area the was just within the Tarune forest beyond. The two young dragons were lying down in the hideout, while dragonfly went off to catch some butterflies.

The hideout was an old, wooden shack that Tyrrany had found several years ago. It used to be used as a home for a couple of Cats, but it had been long abandoned since then. She was sitting before a large wooden window, looking up at the forest thicket beyond.

Tyrrany had found this abandoned shack some time years ago, and had started coming here whenever she needed some privacy away from other dragons... which was quite often. It was nice to be away from the constant hustle and bustle of countless beings running throughout the Headquarters of the FTC. There wasn't anyone to annoy her by getting in her way, or making snide comments about the way she dressed when they thought she wasn't aware. It was... peaceful.

As Arthur was returning from his flight around the hideout, Flame got up and approached Tyrrany, a smile in his face.

"So, is there anything you might want to do while wer're here, gorgeous?" He asked.

"Stop that." The dragoness remarked coldly. "It sickens me."

"Stop what? Call you gorgeous?" Flame queried. "But it's true, Anny: You are."

"No, I'm not." She said coldly. The White dragoness looked down at her covered forelegs. "And it's not like this despicable outfit helps: It's ugly, it itches, and I get so hot and uncomfortable in this weather."

"It's not _that_ ugly." The Red dragon replied.

Tyrrany turned to glare at Flame.

"Excuse me?" She demanded.

"Err..." The male dragon became overcome with a feeling of foolishness. "What I meant is... Uh... If you think the outfit's so ugly, then you should take it off. You look much better without it."

"WHAT?"

Flame cupped his forepaws over his muzzle, while the dragoness's eye twitched.

"Are you asking me to strip for you?" Tyrrany snarled.

"Uh... Err..."

The White dragoness glared at Flame for a moment, seeing the nervous expression in his eyes.

"You should no better than to say things like that, Flame!" Tyrrany exclaimed. "After all the times when I've had to take **His** crap, the LAST thing I'd want is to get the same shit from **you**."

"But I'm not like him, Anny." The Red dragon replied, scratching his Orange mane.

"Is that so?" The dragoness asked sarcastically.

"Yeah!" Flame declared. "Unlike him, you've been able to hang out with me for years on end, instead of just a few days every few years."

"Whee." Tyrrany said halfheartedly, rolling her eyes and twirling a talon in the air.

"Why do you have to be like that?" Flame demanded.

"Listen up, Flame." The White dragoness began, pointing at him demandingly. "I am in no mood for-"

Suddenly, the feint sound of thunder echoed into existance off in the distance. In an instant, Tyrrany gasped in shock, and turned to look towards the sky from her place before the window.

"Oh no!" She shouted.

"Huh?" Flame asked, confused.

"You okay, Anny?" Arthur added in the same tone.

The White dragoness immediately turned back around and ran towards the front of the hideout.

"I'm heading back to the HQ!" She exclaimed.

"Why?" The dragonfly asked.

Tyrrany didn't waste time answering: She leapt onto the dirt road and ran towards the south, moving as fast as her black cloak would allow.

Flame sighed as she ran off, and another cackle of thunder echoed across the land.

"We should head back, too." He stated. "I don't want her heading back alone."

The Red dragon got up to leave the hideout, when the dragonfly flew up before him, glaring.

"What's the problem, Artie?" Flame asked, taken aback.

"'you should take it off'." The dragonfly repeated, rolling his eyes. "What in the world made you think _that_ would be a good thing to say?"

"I was just trying to lighten her mood." The dragon responded. "I hate seeing her like that."

"She's **always** like that." Arthur snapped.

"That's the point. I just want to see Tyrrany happy for once."

"I do too, man," The dragonfly said reassuringly, "but that's wishful thinking. Anny's been like that for ages. I doubt you can change her so easilly."

Flame sighed.

Without a word, he walked past Arthur and took to flight, heading after the dragoness. The dragonfly soon followed suit, frowning.

"Don't go off getting both yourself and her hurt, man."

...

Nerona walked through the hallways of the Temple, heading on her way to her daugther's room.

The Dark Grey dragoness brushed a few strands of Crimson hair out of her eyes as she marched along, making sure that no one followed her. After a while, she approached a Metal doorway, unlocked it with a silver key, and stepped inside.

The room she entered was a small one. Several floating red orbs of fire kept the room illuminated in the setting sunlight. The walls and floors were made of White marble, and a few windows on the eastern wall allowed sunlight to enter. A single, wooden shelf stood on the opposite wall, and was lined up with various toys and a few specially made books and tomes. A metal crib was placed in the far left corner of the chamber, and a large, playpen with raised walls was in the far right one. And in that crib was a small, White-hided dragon cub.

The cub was small: barely four years old. she had a Silver underbelly, and pinkish-white wing membranes. She had two large, short, and thick Silver horns on the back of her head, which bent upwards slightly. She had a wild, Golden-colored mane, which fell downwards a short way behind her neck. She wore a short coat made of Dark Grey material around herself, which was attached together by a small chain. A blue necklace hung around her neck, which had a small Amber stone with a butterfly frozen within up upon the center.

Just before Nerona walked in, the dragon cub was sitting in the middle of the playpen, with a book held out before her. The cub ran her talons over the runes of the words in the book: They were specially made to be surprisingly thick, so that the cub could make out the shape of each letter. When the door was opened, the cub looked up from the book and towards the source of the noise.

"Who's thewe?" She asked.

"It's only me, Riven." Nerona answered, smiling.

"Oh..." The cub replied, smiling. "Hi, Momma."

When Nerona produced her egg, and it became apparent that it would be a White dragoness, the Pain dragoness took the egg and hid it away in one of the far sections of the Temple. Elenar, Urobos, and a few others were informed of the egg's existance, and did their best to keep it safe.

When Riven hatched, it was soon discovered that she was blind. Instead of having normal eyewhites, they appeared to be a somewhat yellowish hue, and her pupils were only a few shades darker.

Upon discovering Riven's blindness, Elenar had the Deep Shadow Gale come in and try to heal the White-hided cub. When a solution couldn't be found, however, Nerona decided to have her daughter try and work around her disability by enhancing her other senses, as well as learning to read specially-designes runes so she could read, and eventually write. During the last four years, the Deep Shadow did her best to keep her daughter out of harm, but she wasn't able to protect her all the time. As such, a few scratches and scars were formed on various parts of the cub's body.

Nerona walked over to Riven and bent her head down towards her. The cub then reached up with her chubby forepaws and felt the adult dragoness's face, analyzing her mother's features so she knew it was her.

"How are you doing, dear?" Nerona asked sweetly.

"I've been weading fwom the book you gave me, Momma." Riven said happily. "I'm awmost done with the fiwst chaptew."

"Really?" The Deep Shadow asked, astonished. "Why, that's wonderful, Riven."

"Thank you, Momma." The cub replied, smiling up at the general area where her mother stood.

"Would you care to repeat some of what you've read to me?"

"Okay Momma."

Nerona stepped into the playpen, careful not to step on the cub, and sat down on her haunches. She then scooped up Riven and the book, and sat the two down before her, wrapping her tail around the White cub. Riven snuggled up against her mother, smiling.

"Alright, Riven." The adult dragoness stated, nuzzling the back of her daughter's head. "Begin."

Riven fidgeted with the book for a while, trying to find the start of the page she was reading. After finding the first few runes, she began reading.

"The... Cat... Sat... On... A... Mat." She stated, feeling the sides of each rune as she recited the combinations of letters. "The... Cat... Had... A... Big... Hat."

Riven moved her talons down to the second line of the paragraph.

"The... Cat... Saw... A... Big... Rat. The... Cat... Then... Ate.. The... Rat."

"Very good, Riven." Nerona said, smiling. "Keep going."

"The... Cat... Ate... More... Rats. Soon... The... Cat... Was... Fat."

"Two more lines and you're done, dear."

"The... Cat... Told... His... Friend... Pat... How... He... Ate... The... Rats. And... That... Was... That..."

Riven looked up at where she guessed Nerona's head was.

"This book is siwwy, Momma." The cub stated. Her mother chuckled.

"Well, at least you're able to read the silly book." She replied. "Soon, you'll be able to read even bigger words than you can now."

"Reawwy, Momma?"

"Of course, dear."

Nerona scooped Riven up off the floor once again.

"Now then, it's getting late: It's time for little dragonesses to go to bed."

"But I'm not sweepy, Momma." The cub protested. "I want to pway with you."

"Now, now, Riven." Nerona scolded. "Little dragonesses have to listen to their mothers. Or else."

"Ow ewse what, Momma?" The cub asked, frowning. The adult dragoness smirked.

"Or else they get attacked by..." Nerona suddenly placed Riven down on her back. "...The TICKLE MONSTER!"

The Dark Grey dragoness begain lightly scratching at her daughter's belly with her foretalons, making the cub giggle wildly.

"Stop it, Momma!" Riven shouted through her laughter.

"No one can stop the tickle monster!" Nerona declared, smiling.

As the White cub laughed, her mother leaned down with her neck and gave Riven a quick raspberry, making her laugh harder. Nerona then lifted the cub up into the air, gently holding her by her sides.

"Ha ha!" The adult dragoness exclaimed, sounding proud. "Now you are within my power! It's a good thing you aren't sleepy, for it was your only hope of escaping certain DOOM!"

"But I AM Sweepy now!" Riven shouted, trying not to laugh again.

"Curses!" Nerona responded. "The Tickle Monster has been foiled again!"

The adult dragoness carried her daughter over to her crib, the White cub giggling the whole way. Nerona placed Riven on her side in the center of the mattress, took her coat off of the cub, and pulled a big, thick blanket over her daughter's body.

"There you go." The Deep Shadow said.

"Thank you, Momma." Riven responded, moving around a little to get comfortable.

Nerona kissed her daughter on the forehead, and then turned to walk out of the chamber.

"I'll come to wake you up tomorrow morning." She said to her daughter. "I'm taking you to see Elenar and Urobos, okay?"

"Okay, Momma." Riven said, pulling her blanket over head head.

"Goodnight, Riven." Nerona said, waving a forepaw to make the floating orbs vanish. "I love you."

"I love you too, Momma."

And with that, Nerona walked out of Riven's chamber. She then shut the door behind herself and locked it with her key, before turning to walk back the way she had come earlier.

Once she was sure she was far out of Riven's earshot, her happy smile faded to a scowl.

_Wretched._ She thought with disdain. _Simply wretched._

The Deep Shadow continued walking down the hallway, heading for her own bedchambers.

...

The Sun was beginning to set.

The three Aeroshard boats had managed to make it all the way through the thundering storm and arrive at the massive Docking bay in Faeshrine. The clouds were slowly heading north towards the Tarune Forest, but the boats were able to stay just outside of the inner edge of the storm.

With the sunset and the worst of the rainstorm slowly approaching, the Aeroshard soldiers and non-combative personell slowly started making their way off the three ships, ignoring the sprinkling of rain as they set out. Several of the Aeroshard sailors started speaking to the Dock workers.

As this happened, Saul, Johnathan, Olivia, and Angela started walking off the center ship together, while the young dragon's gang followed close behind, being quiet and casual.

Olivia was Saul's wife for almost twenty years. She had a Grass green hide and a bright red underbelly. She had four slender horns, which bent out from her head like lightning bolts. She had bright red eyes, and a short brown mane. She wore a Bronze medallian around her neck, and a pink scarf around her neck.

Angela was Olivia's older sister, and thus was Saul's sister-in-law. She had a Grass green hide as well, but a Deep Blue underbelly. Three yellow horns grew form the top of her head and bend downwards like lightning bolts, and she had the same red eyes as her sister. Her Dark Green mane was tied backwards in a long ponytail. She wore a Silver medallion around her neck, and a thick Blue coat over her thickly-built body.

Angela was the leader of a few villages in the Mountains of Kilon that conducted a large Mining business out of the side of several of the northern mountains. She wasn't as wealthy as Saul, but made quite a decent amount of money nonetheless. She had a nasty habit of spoiling her nephew Johnathan whenever the opportunity arose, which only served to worsen the heir's behavioral patterns.

Saul and the other nobles walked directly towards the Faeshrine Trading Company's Headquarters.

"So, when are we gonna meet up with Bergan, Pops?" Johnathan asked.

"We'll see him when we get to the HQ, same as always." The adult dragon answered sternly.

"If you say so."

"Make sure that you behave yourself, Johnathan." The Commander stated. "And that goes for your _friends_, too. I don't want you or anyone else stealing from Bergan or his subordinates."

"Got it, Po-"

"And call me 'father' or 'sir', not 'Pops'!" Saul scolded. "I can't stand that pet name."

"Oh, calm down, Saul." Olivia pleaded. "We're heading towards a Ball, aren't we?"

"She's right." Angela added. "There's no reason to be throwing a fit like that."

"I just wish for him to show me the proper courteousness and respect I deserve." The Commander stated. "I don't see why he should behave so... roguish all the time."

"It's part of his charm." Angela stated. "He's a rather dashing young man: He's sure to impress Bergan's daughter."

"In theory..." Saul stated.

"Aw, Come on, Pops." Johnathan replied, grinning. "Impressing Tyrrany won't be so hard once I tell her all about the Crazy-"

When the Commander flashed his son a glare, the young dragon immediately shut his muzzle. This left his mother and aunt confused.

"What's wrong, Johnny?" Olivia asked.

"N.. Nothing, Mom." The young Earth dragon replied.

"It doesn't **seem** like nothing."

"Just let it go, Olivia." Saul pleaded. "Bergan and I have a business proposition to discuss, and I wish to get it done before the night is out."

"If you say so, Saul."

As Olivia and Angela walked ahead of the two male Earth dragons, the Commander glared down at his son.

"What's wrong, Po.. father?" Johnathan asked.

"Keep your muzzle shut about your _friends_ around your aunt." Saul whispered scoldingly. "For your sake, I'd rather she not find out what a... colorful life you live. And when you see Tyrrany again, I demand that you not tell her a word about your law-breaking in Aeroshard. Is that clear, Johnathan?"

"Uh... yes, father." The heir said quietly, frowning.

"Good."

Saul and Johnathan quickened their pace and followed after the two Earth dragonesses.

...

The ball had begun.

The FTCHQ's massive ballroom was lavishly decorated for the occasion.

The floor was covered in gilded hardtiles, most of which had various, intricate glyphs carved into them. The walls of the room were decorated in various Red and Gold streamers, and had the Faeshrine Trading Company's logo imprinted on them: A massive Red Pheonix rising out of a pile of ashes, with the letters FTC imprinted on its chest. Several paintings of past Kings of Clan Libra, as well as the families of several of the FTC's senior partners, were placed here and there about the room.

Off to the side of the ball room, a small orchestra was playing a slow-moving track of music written by the late Composer Vizarus-Bachus, a Sound dragon who lived roughly two hundred and fifty years in the past. The track was composed of a combination of Base drums played at a rate of one beat per half-second, and a series of Violins, Tubas and Flutes providing a framework for a soothing waltz.

As the large crowd of Dragons and Nondragons danced to the steady rythym of the music, varius attendants and busboys walked among the crowd, serving them various beverages and bite-sized meals. Flame was one of the attendants, offering around small glasses of Red wine on a silver plate he held steadily by the edge with his maw. He was dressed in a small Black vest, which had buttons on the front, a long zipper along the back, and various holes to allow his forelegs and wings to slip through.

Arthur floated along right beside Flame, helping him with his assigned task.

"Care for a drink, ma'am?" The dragonfly asked a nearby Lioness.

"Why thank you, young sir." The Cat replied gratefully, accepting a small wine glass from Flame's tray.

"Mour Melcome." The Red dragon mumbled through the tray.

Even though Flame was the son of Vice President Flamaedelus-Anthony, the adult Fire dragon didn't want his son to grow up thinking life would just hand him money and opportunity on a silver platter. So, the Vice President refused to allow Flame to have any of his family's wealth until he reached an age Anthony deemed appropriate. In the meantime, the young dragon was to work for President Bergan as one of his many younger staff members, doing whatever odd job was necessary of him.

As Flame and Arthur were busy handing out Wine glasses, Tyrrany sat at the front of the Ball room.

The disguised dragoness was sitting alongside her father and the senior partners of the company, before a massive table decorated with a White cloth. Various fine foods and beverages were lined up along the table, reserves just for the highest-ranking members of the Company. A similar table was placed alongside the West side of the ball room, for the other attendants to enjoy. Behind the main table was a massive map of the entire Dragon realms, and a few of the seats at the main table were left vacant, for certain guests who had yet to arrive.

During the festivities, Bergan noticed that Tyrrany was looking directly down at the floor before her, picking halfheartedly at a leg of lamb upon her plate as she sat a short distance away from him.

"Is something the matter, Tyrrany?" The Purple dragon asked, concerned.

"No, father." The dragoness stated coldly. "I am content."

"You certainly don't **seem** content, dear."

"Well, I am." Tyrrany picked a piece of the lambmeat from the leg and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Oh, come now." Bergan stated, half-scolding. "I am no fool, Tyrrany. You're thinking about going to Warfang to confront your mother. You've no doubt been thinking on the subject since your training exercise ended."

After the dragoness swallowed her mouthful of food, she looked up into her father's eyes.

"Why won't you let me go, father?" She asked sadly. "I've been getting stronger every day for the last four years. I've dedicated countless hours to becoming a living weapon. And I've been doing it all so I could pay **Her** back for what she's done. Both to me, and you."

"Yes, yes..." Bergan commented. "You have become much more powerful than you once were. But no matter how strong you become, it doesn't change the fact that trying to get revenge on your mother will be an extremely dangerous task."

"But..." Tyrrany replied, tearing up a little. "I've been wanting to do this for so long..."

Bergan stood up, walked up to his daugther, and placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Tyrrany, I know how badly you want this." He stated. "I never said that I denied your request to get your vengeance. What I **did** say was that I would think about it. All I'm asking is that you be patient, my dear. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, father..." The dragoness answered solemnly.

Suddenly, the music stopped as a pair of unfamiliar trumpet blurts sounded out.

Over on the far end of the ball room, a pair of Cheetahs had appeared, both of them on either side of a small congregation that had entered the chamber. When the trumpets stopped, one of the Cheetahs spoke.

"Annoucing the awaited arrival of Commander Saul, leader of the City of Aeroshard, and his immediate family!"

Without further adieu, the thick Earth dragons leader marched into the Ball room, followed closely by Olivia, Johnathan and Angela. Saul's soldiers immediately disperced to stand guard on multiple sides of the room without causing a disturbance, and the orchestra resumed playing the music.

Flame and Arthur watched from the side as the Earth dragons approached the front table, the Fire dragon having sat his tray on a side table.

"Oh great." Flame grimaced. "The 'world-famous' Johnny D is here."

"I'd love to wipe that smug grin right off his muzzle." Arthur commented.

At the back of the ballroom, Tyrrany grimaced: She was likely thinking the same thing, only with much more disdain.

Bergan stood up on his feet as Saul and his family came to a stop on the opposite side of the table.

"Ah, my dear old friend Saul." The Purple dragon declared, smiling. "It's a pleasure to see you and your lovely wife and sister-in-law once again."

"The pleasure's all mine, Bergan." The Commander replied, nodding. "We should really see each other much more often, considering how closely we work together."

"Nice to see ya again, Bergs." Johnathan stated, grinning.

"Johnathan!" Olivia scolded. "Show him some respect."

The young Earth dragon grimaced, while his parents glared at him.

"Sorry... Sir." He mumbled.

"All is forgiven." The Purple dragon responded. "There's no harm in trying to flatter. But enough pleasentries."

Bergan motioned with his forepaw for the Earth dragons to walk around the table.

"This is a party: Why don't you all enjoy yourselves?"

"There's not a reason in the world." Angela declared, smiling.

The Four Earth dragons took their places on the other side of the table: Saul and Olivia sitting to Bergan's right, Angela sitting to Bergan's immediate left, and Johnathan sitting right next to Tyrrany, who sighed in contempt.

The young Earth dragon eyed the dragoness, grinning.

"Nice to see you again, Sexy." He whispered.

"Shut up." Tyrrany said scornfully.

"Sheesh." Johnathan replied. "Is that any way to say hello to me? It's not often we get to hang out, you know."

"More like **too** often." The dragoness sneered.

As this went on, Bergan picked up a untensil and lightly banged it against his wine glass.

"Everyone, settle down and pay attention, please." He said to the crowd.

Every other person in the room focused their attention on the Purple dragon, and the orchestra stopped playing. The President cleared his throat before beginning again.

"My friends, for the last fifteen years tonight, the Faeshrine Trading Company has graced the world with its presence, and has since then become the absolute largest and most successful trading business in all of Dragon History."

The crowd applauded at this.

"There is not a single other brand name that the people of the world will trust with the safe protection and transfer of their goods and services besides the FTC, for this is the only Company that has been able to evade Financial, Political, and Economical disaster and corruption. One could even say that, without the Faeshrine Trading Company, there would be no world economy to speak of."

The crowd applauded again.

"But even though I am the owner and founder of the FTC, it is you, the many workers, merchants, sailors, and other middlement, who have made this company what it is today. Each and every one of you is the Blood of this company, and you have kept it alive and kicking for fifteen consecutive years."

The crowd applauded for a third time.

Flame scoffed from his place at the side table.

"If President Bergan's good at anything, it's flattery and sucking up." He whispered.

"I get the point." Arthur added.

"Of course, if you are the blood..." The Purple dragon continued. "One could say that the military power of Aeroshard is the protective array of Scales that protects this company's body."

The crowd began to murmur at this mentioning.

"For the longest time, the soldiers of Aeroshard have protected our company's carriages and goods from vandals, thieves, and other undesirables. And in all these years, not a single incident has occured in which the FTC has suffered. We all have Commander Saul to thank for this good fortune."

The crowd gave a round of applause for the Earth dragon, and the Commander-in-Chief stood up and took a bow, while Bergan sat back down.

"Thank you." Saul stated, smiling. "For many years, my good friend Bergan and I have conducted business together: I protect his goods and services, and he provides **me** with a small percentage of said goods and services. Our mutual relationship has kept both our cities at peak performance."

The beings about the room cheered, while Flame, Arthur, and even Tyrrany rolled their eyes.

"But alas, we cannot hope to be around to keep this relationship going forever." The Commander said. "Because of this, quite some time ago, Bergan and I decided on something.. Something that had to be kept under wraps... until tonight."

As the crowd began murmuring again, Saul looked over at the young Green and Purple dragons.

"Tyrrany, Johnathan, please stand up." The Commander stated.

As the two dragons stood up, Johnathan grinned, while Tyrrany had a look of irritation about her. Bergan got up on all fours again as well.

"My people," The Purple dragon began. "My oldest daughter Tyrrany..."

"..And my son Johnathan..." The Commander added.

"...Are arranged to become married." The two adults said in unison.

Clearly, the crowd had mixed feelings.

Some of them cheered in delight, while a few others murmured in concern. As this happened, Johnathan smiled widely upon the crowd, basking in supposed glory. Tyrrany, on the other hand, only scowled, and looked down at the floor, as if she were to be ashamed.

"In a few weeks," Saul began again, "The two young dragons are set to become husband and wife, thus combining our two citys' legal powers together."

"As such," Bergan added, "The former company known as the Faeshrine Trading Company, as well as the former military power of Aeroshard, will be no more."

Most of the crowd began murmuring in confusion and concern.

"But do not think this is a sorrowful thing." Saul stated. "For like your logo, the Pheonix, a brand new Power shall be born from the ashes of the two old ones."

As Saul said this, Bergan motioned for a few guards to tear away the map that hung on the wall behind the table.

"My friends..." He declared. "I give you... The Luminare Sovereignity!"

Hidden behind the map was a large, White tapestry. Upon the tapestry was a massive, Emerald Green Albatross, with its wings spread far apart, and its talons standing upon a stone platform.

The crowd murmured once again, while Flame's jaw hit the floor.

"What in the world?" He whispered in shock.

"The two cities of Faeshrine and Aeroshard are slated to pool together all of their individual wealth, land, and manpower." Saul stated. "Plans are already in the works for a brand new Dragon city to be constructed upon the long-since abandoned Isle of Brizl'dur, which lies in the very center of the Central Ocean. By the time the new city is finished, you shall have two shining new rulers to watch after you all: Emperor Johnathan, and Empress Tyrrany."

The Crowd started to applaud this, while Johnathan beamed with pride. Tyrrany, however, sighed in disdain.

Without a word, the disguised dragoness turned and left the table in a huff, refusing to speak to anyone.

Bergan, Johnathan and Saul noticed this, and they frowned.

"Where could she be heading in a time like this?" The Purple dragon wondered.

"Should we send someone to go get her?" Saul asked.

"Hmm..." Bergan ran a paw through his Golden beard. "Whether that is a good idea or not, I cannot say: my daughter has been a bit... troubled, as of late."

"Can I go after her, Sir?" Johnathan asked. "Maybe I can find a way to cheer her up."

The President smiled.

"Go right ahead, young man." He answered. "After all, She _is_ going to be your bride soon. It's only fitting for you to spend some time to bond with her more."

"Sweet." The young Green dragon exclaimed, grinning. "See ya later, Sir."

Without another word, Johnathan turned and left the table.

Flame and Arthur watched this as it took place, the Red dragon fuming with anger. He couldn't hear what was said, but he didn't like the look on the Earth teenager's face.

"You okay, man?" Arthur queried.

"I swear..." Flame sneered. "One of these days, I'm gonna break that thug's face. She's far too good for a punk like him."

"Are you aren't?" The dragonfly asked, giving the dragon a look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Flame demanded.

"What I meant is: Do you think you're the right kind of guy for her?"

"Well..."

Suddenly, a female voice came from behind.

"Hi, Flame."

The Red dragon turned around to see a Memory dragoness named Jenna standing nearby, setting a silver tray on the table next to Flame's.

Jenna was another one of Bergan's younger employees. She was roughly seventeen years old, with a surprisingly muscular, yet still clearly feminie build. Her Pink hide was partially covered by a server's vest similar to the one on Flame, and her Yellow underbelly was neatly polished for the ball. She had a Bright Yellow mane, which was partially covering her Electric Blue eyes. Her four Red horns curled down the side of her head, and her muzzle was short and beaklike.

Flame became stoic when he saw the Pink dragoness approach.

"Hi..." He stated halfheartedly.

"I'm glad that I was able to find you before the ball ended." Jenna declared, smiling. "Me and a few of the others were planning on heading over to a pool party at Chidori's place tomorrow. Wanna come?"

"Um..." The Red dragon stammered. "Thanks, but I'll only go if Tyrrany's invited too."

Upon hearing the dragoness's name, Jenna suddenly became cold.

"I see..." She stated with an air of disapproval. "In that case, it'll be a shame not seeing you at the party."

"For you, maybe." Arthur commented.

"Oh, shut it, knat." The Memory dragoness spat.

"Hey!" Flame exclaimed. "You leave Arthur out of this."

Jenna stuck her snout in the air.

"Fine." She declared. "And here I thought you'd finally come around. A nice looking boy like you shouldn't be seen hanging around with that freakshow."

The Red dragon glared.

"Don't even **think** about insulting Tyrrany in front of me." Flame sneered. "Just take a hike now, before things get _troublesome._"

The Pink dragoness harrumphed, and turned to walk away.

After she was gone, Flame sighed. He poured at least a dozen glasses full with Red Wine, placed them upon the tray, and carefully grasped it in his mouth.

"Mome mon." He said through the tray. "mets mo, Marthur."

"If you say so..."

And with that, the two teenagers started offering drinks to the crowd.

...

Tyrrany walked down the hallway that led to her room.

As she approached her doorway, she stopped before the door just to the left of her's. It was the doorway that led to the room shared by her four younger siblings: Firion, Maria, Leon and Destine. She noticed the door was slightly ajar, and peered inside.

The floor of the room was covered in a fine cloth rug. The walls were Snow white, and covered in various crudely-made paintings. A large glass window ran across the farside of the room, which was being pelted with a million droplets of rain blown sideways by the wind. Several shelves were lined across the walls of the room, mostly barren, while the floor was mostly covered in an assortment of toys. Four silk mattresses were lined up against the walls.

An adult Time dragoness was hard at work picking up toys off the floor. Just a few feet away from her was a small, Time dragon cub, who was helping the adult dragoness clean up. This was eight-year old Firion.

Firion had a short and chubby hide. His eyes were Big and Blue, and his two Orange, diagonal horns grew out just above his eyes.

The Time cub picked up a small rag doll off the floor and held it out towards the dragoness, his short limbs only able to reach so far.

"Hewe's one, Mummy." He said, smiling.

The dragoness accepted the doll.

"Why, thank you, Firon." She replied, playfully ruffling his unkept Brown mane with a free forepaw.

Over on the West side of the room was an adult Fire dragoness, only a few years younger than the Time dragoness. She was busilly straightening up around the two beds on either side of her, while a short Fire cub watched her. This was seven-and-a-half year old Maria.

Maria was just as tall as Firion, but slightly less chubby. Her eyes were Red, like her scales, and her two ram-like horns were yellow. Her mane was short, and orange in color.

"Do you need help, Momma?" The young dragoness asked.

"Not at all, honey." The dragoness replied. "You just lay down and get ready for bed."

"Okay."

On the opposite side of the room, a Water dragoness was tucking in the two youngest cubs: A Blue-hided boy and a Pink-hided girl. They were the twins, Six-year-old Leon and Destine.

Leon and Destine, despite having obvious differences, had a lot of the same features. They both had three Silver horns upon their heads, Bright red eyes, and short, Yellow manes.

The adult Water dragoness, presumably their shared mother, was kissing them in turn upon their foreheads.

"You two try to get some sleep." She said sweetly.

"Okay, Mummy." The twins said in unison.

As Tyrrany watched all this from her place from the doorway, she sneered. She then turned to walk towards her own dorrway.

_What a bunch of skanks and golddiggers._ She thought distastefully.

Over the last few years, Tyrrany knew that her father Bergan had been trying to fill the void in his being that her mother Elenar created when she left him for a Dark dragon. The Purple dragon had spent some time searching for a new mate. And time after time, it seemed like he had finally found the right dragoness.

But alas, this was never the case.

Each of the three dragonesses that Bergan had mated with seemed to only have interest in the Purple dragon's money and power, and were trying to seduce him to get at it. However, each of those three had been found out, and Bergan was heartbroken. To make matters worse, each of the three dragonesses had become pregnant, and eventually produced children. The President was displeased with the treachery, but didn't want to disown his little ones, like Elenar had done to Tyrrany.

So, Bergan decided to raise the four little dragons, keeping the seductive dragonesses permanently employed as their nursemaids, so they could look after their children while being paid a small bit of money for the trouble.

Not wanting to think on the subject any further, Tyrrany entered her room.

The walls of the dragoness's room were made of Mahogany, and the floor was covered in a red rug. A thick yellow mattress sat on the east side of the room near the door, while a wooden desk sat a short distance behind it. A massive portriat of twelve Princes and Princesses hung to the left of a large window on the far wall.

A massive amount of rain pelted the glass window relentlessly, and a few cracks of thunder could be heard in the distance. As the dragoness shut her door and turned to walk forwards, a chill ran down her spine.

"That storm..." She stated, slightly fearfully. "It's just like the night when I... I..."

Tyrrany shook her head, sending the horrible memories away.

"No..." She told herself. "I won't let myself remember it."

The disguised dragoness approached a small, Silver-lined suitcase that sat on the west side of the room, and reached down to open it.

But just before she could, a knocking came at her door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

The voice who answered made the dragoness sneer.

"It's Johnny D."

"Go away." Tyrrany said coldly. "I'm not in the mood."

"Well, your Dad said I should come talk to you." Johnathan replied.

"I don't care."

"Oh, come on!" The Earth dragon pleaded. "Can't you give a guy a chance? I'm just doing what Bergan told me to do."

Tyrrany rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She said half heartedly.

The dragoness unlocked her door, and opened it, allowing Johnathan to walk in. During this time, the three adult dragonesses could be heard leaving the other room and heading down the hallway.

\The Earth dragon looked around at the dragoness's room, grinning.

"Nice pad you got here." He remarked.

Tyrrany closed her door and turned to look at Johnathan.

The Earth dragon spent a moment looking the dragoness over, which made her feel uncomfortable.

"What?" She demanded.

"Man, you've got one sexy-looking face, Anny." He declared.

"Gee, thanks." the dragoness said sarcastically.

"Though I've been wondering something about you for a long while now: Why do you always wear that Black outfit?"

The dragoness sighed in contempt.

"That's none of your business." She said coldly.

"Well, you're going to be my mate soon," Johnathan replied. "So, pretty soon, it **will** be my business."

The Earth dragon started walking around the dragoness, which made her scowl. She took a few steps forewards to try and get away from him, but Johnathan kept walking around her.

"What are you doing **now**?" Tyrrany demanded.

"Don't get me wrong, Tyrrany: Those stockings and that cape look really good on you..."

The dragoness gave Johnathan an odd look, while the Earth dragon unclipped his cloak.

"But you know," He added, tossing his cloak to the floor. "That outfit would look even better on the floor right about now."

Tyrrany's eyes lit up in anger. She was now standing in the center of the room.

"Johnathan..." She stated, keeping her rage hidden. "I know very well that my father wants me to marry you, and I'll respect him by honoring his wishes..."

"Sounds good to me." The Earth dragon declared, grinning.

"...However," The dragoness stated, letting her anger appear slightly, "There is no way in the Dragon Realms or the Underworld below that I'm EVER going to let you fuck me."

"Aw, Come on.." Johnathan chided, taking a step closer. "You act like it'll be unpleasant."

Tyrrany glared harder at the male dragon.

"Do you think I'm some cheap skank?" She snapped. "I don't know how easy the moronic whores in Aeroshard are, but I'm not about to bend over and take it like a harlot!"

"Bend over, eh?" The Earth dragon repeated. "You know, that sounds like an ideal position. It'll have all the fun of the normal routine, without the worry of you getting knocked up."

Tyrrany resisted the urge to tear Johnathan's throat out.

"Just get out." She demanded. "NOW."

The male dragon took another step closer. His grin faded into a scowl.

"You're really trying my patience, toots." He sneered.

"No." Tyrrany stated, bearing her fangs. "It is YOU who is trying MY patience."

Johnathan let a low growl escape his throat.

"You know..." The earth dragon reached behind himself and into a small cloth pocket fastoned to his side. "I'm beginning to think you need a little... persuasion."

"'Persuasion?" Tyrrany snarled. "Do you really think you can-?"

Without warning, Johnathan grabbed a small switchblade from inside his pocket. As soon as he grabbed hold of the handle, he released the blade, and instantly tossed it forwards towards Tyrrany with incredible agility. The dragoness was shocked to see the switchblade land directly between two of the talons on her left forepaw, the blade being just far enough from either appendage to avoid even grazing her scales.

"What the-?" Tyrrany shouted in alarm.

While the she was distracted, the male dragon ran forwards and punched her across the face. He then grabbed the dragoness's shoulders and, after augmenting his strength with his Earth element, sent her flying to the west, having her crash downwards onto her right side. Johnathan then followed this up by slamming Tyrrany's face into the floor.

The dragoness struggled to get up, but the male dragon had climbed on top of her, using his forelegs to keep Tyrrany from righting herself. He also struck her hard in the back of the neck, weakening her to the point where she couldn't use magic. She yelped in pain.

"You son of a bitch!" The dragoness screamed. "Get off me!"

"I'm not leaving here without some well-deserved action." Johnathan said coldly. "Now then, let's have a looksie at the sexy body you're hidding under this cape..."

The Earth dragon grabbed the edge of Tyrrany's cape, causing her to gasp in horror.

"STOP!" She exclaimed.

But Johnathan didn't care. The male dragon tore the cape away from the dragoness's neck and pulled it free of her body, tossing it to the side. He then looked down at Tyrrany's body... and gasped in surprise and alarm at the sight of the dragoness's Snow White scales.

"What the fuck?" He exclaimed. "You're scales! They're... White?"

Johnathan immediately got off of Tyrrany, who started seething with fury and snarling like a wild animal.

"Do you like what you see, Johnathan?" She demanded.

The Green dragon started backing away, slowly approaching the doorway.

"By the Ancestors!" He shouted, the mane hairs on his head standing on end. "You're a... a..."

"I'm a White dragoness!" Tyrrany snarled. She wiped her face with the edge of one of the stockings on her forelegs, revealing the White scales underneath the Purple makeup. "I always have been!"

Johnathan tried to make a run for it, but the dragoness suddenly jumped in his way, blocking his path.

"Just where do you think YOU'RE going?" She roared.

"Uh.. I was..."

"Didn't you say you weren't leaving here without some well-deserved action?" Tyrrany raored.

The dragoness suddenly turned around and lifted her tail up, exposing her underside to the Earth dragon.

"Well what're you waiting for?" She snarled with enraged sarcasm. "Put it in!"

"I... uh..." Johnathan backed away from Tyrrany, his body shaking with fear. "C-c-couldn't we p-p-pretend this never happened?"

"I don't think so!" The dragoness sneered.

Tyrrany started backing up, trying to press her backside against Johnathan's chest.

"You went through the touble of trying to violate me, so there's no point in half-assing it!"

"I... I'm sorry! HONEST!" The Earth dragon pleaded, horror in his Red eyes. "I... I didn't know you were a-"

"SHUT UP!" Tyrrany roared at the top of her lungs, making Johnathan yelp in fear.

Eventually, Johnathan found himself backed up against the far wall, and Tyrrany was finally able to press herself up against him.

"Go for it, Johnny!" She exclaimed with rage. "Go ahead and rape me!"

The Earth dragon was too horrified to even mutter a word. His heart was beating like a drum inside is chest, and he was hyperventilating. As je shook violently behind the White dragoness, he feared that any action would be fatal mistake.

"What's this?" Tyrrany asked sarcastically. "A minute ago, you were confident enough to try and violate a Purple dragoness. But now that you know that she's a White-hided abomination, you're afraid that she'll rip you to pieces?"

The dragoness walked forwards a short distance, picked dup Johnathan's switchblade from the floor, and tossed it at him. It crashed violently against the part of the floor directly underneath him, and he jumped a short distance into the air."

"COWARD!" The dragoness roared. "Grab your shit and get the fuck out of my room, you spineless, yellow-bellied, shit-headed PUSSY!"

Without a word, Johnathan made a beeline around the White dragoness as fast as he could, stuttering in horror the whole time.

"You had better keep your trap SHUT," The dragoness threatened, "Or I swear, I'll take that blade of yours and use it to cut your DICK off!"

Johnathan grabbed his switchblade and cape off the floor, opened the door, and ran as fast as he could down the hallway, struggling not to sceam the whole way.

In the meantime, Tyrrany slammed the door shut, locked it, and stormed over to the other side of her room. She sat down before her spot before the window, and looked directly at it.

Without a pause, the dragoness roared in rage and sorrow. She then collapsed to the floor, crying a river of tears.

"Coward..." She repeated, stuttering the whole time. "You cock-sucking, Shit-eating coward. One minute you attempt to violate me like I'm a piece of property, the next you act like I'm a dangerous animal."

The dragoness slammed her fist against the glass window. She then grabbed her sore forepaw and rubbed it, still sniffling and crying.

"Why...?" Tyrrany asked miserably. "Why does father want me to marry that pile of shit? He's nothing but a bastard! And now, he knows my secret. Sure, he was going to find out eventually, but now there's a chance he'll go blabbing to everyone he knows. Unless father can do something, I'll be chased out of the city by an angry mob in less than a day."

Once the White dragoness ran out of tears, she climbed onto her mattress and pulled the covers over herself. As she slipped towards slumber, she wrapped her forelegs tightly around her body, and she struggled to keep from shaking. A number of questions ran through her head during this time.

_Why am I being forced into this situation? Why do I have to live like this?_

As the White dragoness slipped away into unconsciousness, one last question ran through her head.

_Why am I a monster?_


	24. Act 1, Chapter 4 FM

Act 1, Chapter 4

The next morning.

The corridors of Warfang Temple were as busy as they always were.

At around noon, Nerona arrived in Riven's room and prepared her to go see Queen Elenar and Elder Urobos.

The Pain dragoness quietly shut the door behind herself. She waved a paw through the air, summoning the magical orbs of fire to appear to illuminate the room, and approached her sleeping daughter. A sneer was etched into her features the whole while.

_How long?_, she wondered. _How long am I supposed to care for Bergan's little White-hided Devil?_

Nerona had known all along that Rivenwas going to be a White dragoness during her pregnancy. And even though Bergan, Riven's father, couldn't have been happier to have another White-hided child, Nerona was utterly disgusted. The Pain dragoness remembered very well the stories of White dragons who brought about pain, death, and destruction upon the Dragon race, as well as their beastly mannerisms. And it made her sick to her stomach to know that she had given life to a monster.

However, she knew better to let her opinion reach the surface. Bergan had spent a long time teaching Nerona how to surpress her disdain, and instead behave with a loving, care-giving manor. As far as Riven knew, her mother loved her with every ounce of her being.

Still, it was getting harder for Nerona's act to stay unnoticeable, especially to Elenar and Urobos.

_Perhaps I should have just let Bergan look after her, along with that OTHER abomination. _The Deep Shadow decided. She then sighed in defeat. _Well, it's far too late for that now._

Nerona took a deep breath, and then adopted her motherly facade once again. She then stopped before her daughter's crib and reach inside to awaken her.

"Rise and shine, Riven." The Pain dragoness said sweetly, shaking her daugther's shoulder. "It's time to wake up."

The dragon cub slowly woke from her sleep and sat on her haunches, She yawned softly, while rubbing the tiredness from her eyes.

"Good mowning, Momma." Riven declared, smiling.

Nerona lowered her head so that it was level with the White dragoness's, and allowed the cub to feel the adult's face.

"Did you get a good night's rest, dear?" The Pain dragoness asked.

"Uh-huh." Riven answered, nodding. Nerona chuckled.

"That's good to hear."

The Deep Shadow spent a few minutes getting her daughter ready for the day's events. She combed Riven's golden hair so that it was neat and presentable, and helped the White cub put on a new Dark Grey coat. Lastly, and this was most important of all, Nerona placed a shroud of darkness over Riven's hide, changing her scale color to Dark Grey.

Even if Elenar, Urobos, and those few others who knew of Riven's White scales were accepting of her, there was still the deadly stigma attached to dragons with White hides, as the previous day's murder trial made readilly apparent. So, whenever Nerona took Riven out of her chamber, she would place a shroud of darkness on her, so she appeared to be a normal Pain dragoness cub.

To further protect the cub's safety, the subject of White dragons was never brought up around Riven. The cub didn't know her hide was White, nor did she know other White dragons existed. In fact, she didn't even know that dragons had different colors of hides, because she couldn't possibly comprehend what color was in her blinded state. Perhaps, once she became older, and there was a way to heal her, then she would learn the truth.

But in any case, Nerona disguised Riven as a Pain dragoness. She then picked her daughter up and sat her down on her mother's back, wrapping the cub's wings around the adult's neck and locking her wingblades together. This is what Nerona did to transport her daughter around the Temple: It was safer than having Riven try to follow behind her, plus the cub had fun getting a little piggy-back ride every now and then.

"Are you ready to see the Queen and Mr. Urobos?" Nerona asked, smiling.

"Okay!" Riven shouted happily.

The adult dragoness chuckled, and proceeded to walk towards the front door. She opened the door, waved a paw through the air to make the orbs of flame extinguish themselves, and walked out.

After shutting the door behind herself, Nerona turned to walk down the hallway. As she walked along, the The disguised cub started speaking.

"Why do Ewenaw and Uwobos want to see me, Momma?" Riven asked.

"They want to see how you're doing with your reading abilities." Her mother responded.

"Oh. Okay..."

"They're going to be very happy to see you, dear." The adult dragoness stated.

"They awe?" Riven asked, smiling.

"Of course, Riven. They get very worried about you all the time. They're scared that you might get in danger someday."

"But I'm won't evew get in dangew, Momma." The cub replied. "You'we awways thewe to pwotect me."

Nerona chuckled.

"Of course." She agreed, smiling back. "I'll always protect you, Riven. Because I love you."

Riven smiled upon hearing this.

"Thank you, Momma."

The Deep Shadow stopped for a moment to lovingly nuzzle the top of her daughter's head, and then turned to keep walking.

But as she walked, her smile briefly faded into an disgusted sneer.

_The day when that statement is true is the day I shave my mane off and mate with a pig._

The Deep Shadow then silently continued walking towards the the Throne Room.

...

Tyrrany slowly stirred from her slumber. She pushed away her blanket, and slipped onto her feet, each one stepping on the floor in turn. After shaking the drowsiness from her head, the dragoness realized that she was still wearing the same Black stockings from the previous night. And then, she remembered what Johnathan had tried to do to her.

Tyrrany snarled with rage as the painful memories returned to the surface of her mind.

"I swear..." She stated with disdain. "If that Rock-headed Cocksucker EVER tries anything like that again, I'm going to make every moment of his life feel like an eternity of torture the likes of which has never been seen!"

Shaking the anger away for a brief moment, Tyrrany set to work straightening herself for the day's events.

The White dragoness used her Water element to wash away the Purple makeup from the previous day, and proceeded to apply a fresh coat to her scales.

"Stupid purple slime..." She sneered. "I can't stand wearing this **filth **every day. Why can't I just go without it?"

After a short moment of thought, Tyrrany scolded herself. She sighed in defeat.

"Because if anyone saw what I **really** was, then they'd go out of their way to try to kill me."

Once again, the dragoness thought about Johnathan, and how he discovered her secret.

"I guess he was going to find out sooner or later." She stated. "But I doubt Father planned on him finding out like this."

Tyrrany growled.

"I wonder if I should tell Father that he tried to violate me..." The dragoness sneered. "I shouldn't let that little shit try to get away with it... But then again, the very fact that he's now afraid that I'll kill him at any moment is a decent punishment on its own."

After a short moment of thought, the White dragoness shook her head.

"Fuck this. I don't want to waste my time thinking about that trash."

Tyrrany approached her dresser and proceeded to change into a new set of stockings, placing the old ones in a laundry bin. Once she was fully dressed, she looked over at her suitcase, which still sat in the same place it was last night. She then glanced at a small wallclock, and sighed.

"I guess I have some time before breakfast..."

The dragoness picked up her suitcase and opened it, pulling out its contents.

The suitcase contained a decently-sized, yet well-crafted violin.

The violin was made of the finest wood that money could by, and had a variant assortment of runes and glyphs imprinted on the short sides of its perimeter. The stalk of the instrument was emblazoned with the image of a Red pheonix rising from a pile of ashes. The four strings were tightly tuned over the large circle that revealed the insides of the violin. On the backside of the instrument was a message enbedded into the wood, which was carved by paw. The message read:

_A very special treasure, __**f**__or MY special treasure. As __**l**__ong as you hold this violin, you hold physic__**a**__l proof that there is so__**m**__eone out there who loves you dearly. Whatever the color of your scales, I shall love and care for you, now and forev__**e**__r._

Tyrrany held this violin in her possession for almost five years. She found the suitcase sitting in her bedchamber one day, and had no clue who delivered it to her, since the message had no name attached. However, because it's case had the symbol of the FTC upon its front, the dragoness assumed it was a gift from Bergan. She had only a minor interest in fine music up til that point, but decided to try and master the art of playing the violin, as a way to show her thanks for the gift.

The dragoness pulled out a small stand with some musical notes written on it and set it up. She then picked up a thin bow from the suitcase, sat down on her haunches before the stand, and prepared herself to play. She held the violin in her left foreleg, resting the butt of the instrument against her neck, while she held the bow in her free foreleg.

Bergan had arranged for Tyrrany to take up classes playing the violin during the last five years. Even though the dragoness had become surprisingly adept at playing orchestrations by various dragon and Nondragon composers, the White dragoness actually preferred to play music of her own creation.

The composition she was currently working on was an experiment of sorts: it combined several fast-paced high tunes, with soothing, slow-moving low tunes, which switched between each other in sequence. It was rather basic in execution, but she worked on it nonetheless.

Tyrrany spent several minutes playing her composition, shutting her eyes so that the soothing music fill her thoughts. It filled her being with a rare emotion: Content. It was only during these brief moments when she played her violin, but in that time, the dragoness felt as though there was no world to depise her. No pain to feel, and no scorn to bear.

And yet... something felt out of place in her music.

After playing her violin for a few minutes, the dragoenss stopped, pulled a Quill pen and a jar of ink out of her satchel, and proceeded to write new notes onto her scroll on the stand. She frowned as she worked.

"Something isn't right." She said with disatisfaction. "There's something... missing. There's too much of a divide in the pattern. I need something to string it all together in the right way."

The dragoness fiddled with her notes for a brief time, before turning to check the time on her clock. She sneered.

"Damnit." She stated. "I need to get going."

Tyrrany packed up her violin and stood up. She readjusted her satchel, and then walked towards the doorway. As she opened the door, she looked back at her notes and sighed.

"I guess I'll try to figure it out later."

She then turned back around, and walked away, shutting the door behind herself.

...

Rune hit the floor hard, his sword crashing to the stone floor a short distance away. The young Black dragon grunted in pain as another swordblade was pointed at his neck, a meer inch away from piercing his flesh.

Kiros stood over the young dragon, a katana held in his forepaws. The Golden dragon frown with disappointment.

"Sixty seconds." He stated. "It took me a little under Sixty seconds to disarm you and render you helpless."

Rune and Kiros were in the center of the Temple Training arena.

The arena was of massive size, and completely circular. Various statues of ancient dragons, five in all, stood on various sides of the room, each one an almost exact likeness of one of the ancient dragon Guardians who used to teach in the temple. They were: Terrador, Guardian of Earth, Veladina, Guardian of Memory, Volteer, Guardian of Lightning, Clotho, Guardian of Time, and Cyril, Guardian of Ice. A sixth statue, larger than the rest, was built into the center of the Arena floor, and had sunken downwards so that the arena could be used. It was a statue of Lord Spyro.

When Rune first learned that he was made the new wielder of Bane's sword, it was readilly made apparent that the young dragon wouldn't be able to learn how to fight with it on his own: He would need someone to teach him. Even though Urobos knew how to wield a sword, he was far from being able to move fast enough in the air to teach his grandson, so Elenar went searching for a sufficient tutor. When Kiros became a Deep Shadow, the Time dragon offered to take the job. And today, the two dragons were in the middle of yet another training session.

Wraith was present for the session as well: The Crimson dragon stood on the far end of the stone arena, and helped the other two dragons when it was necessary.

Kiros backed away from Rune, who proceeded to get back onto his feet.

"Sorry..." The young dragon stated.

"Sorry?" Kiros repeated, an eye raised. "Your highness, there is no 'sorry' on the battlefield. If I were a real opponent, you would be long dead by now."

Rune picked up his sword, sighing slightly.

"Prince Rune," The Time dragon stated, "I know very well that you have not spent your life training in the art of swordmastery, and as such you I cannot expect you to succeed in a duel against me so soon."

"I know, I know..." Rune stammered, grimacing.

"However, I at least expect you to put up a decent fight. I do not wish to be able to get the better hand so rapidly."

"Well, can't you go easy on me?" The Prince asked.

"I **have** been 'going easy' on you." The Golden dragon declared. "I've adapted my fighting style to accomodate a being of your lack of prior training."

"No, I mean, why don't you let me win every once in a while?" Rune queried.

"Certainly not." Kiros scolded. "My primary objective is to make you a master swordsman. And mastery takes great work and discipline. I may alter the challenges to match your level of skill, but I won't give you free passes to success. If you are able to defeat me, it will be of your own efforts. Do you understand, your highness?"

"Uh..." Rune stammered. "I guess so."

"Good. Now then, we shall begin once again." Kiros turned his gaze towards Wraith. "Wraith, if you please..."

"Alright, alright." The Crimson dragon statted, grinning. "Hold on for just a sec..."

Wraith waved a forepaw through the air for a moment. As he did this, Kiros's katana and Rune's sword became surrounded by a thick, Black aura. The Prince spread his wings and lifted himself into the air, and then gripped his sword in his right forepaw, holding it in reverse-grip.

"What are we using these auras for again?" He wondered.

Kiros lifted himself into the air and hovered for a moment, gripping his katana, while Wraith spoke.

"The spell creates a small shield of energy around the blades." He began. "It allows you two to strike each other with the swords, without cutting each other into bloody stumps."

"Aye." The Golden dragon agreed, getting into a fighting stance similar to Rune's. "Now then, before we begin, I want you to review and recite the basics of your swordplay that I've taught you up til now."

Rune sighed again. He then took a deep, somewhat nervous breath.

"Okay..." He stated. "The first thing to know is: A sword is at its peak of performance when held in the air. When on the ground, a sword is only useful when fighting while standing perfectly still, and even then, it is a severe hindrance to the wielder."

"Correct." Kiros responded.

"The second thing to know is: A draconic sword-wielder must be always moving. Because dragons are almost always moving while in flight, a dragon cannot fight effectively without constantly readjusting their body."

"Aye." The Golden dragon replied.

"The the third thing to know is: unless the dragon is a master of the Memory element, said dragon's best way to hold a sword in midair is reverse-grip. A sword held in forward-grip would only serve to block the dragon wielder's path when flying in the standard way: They are liable to slice through their own limbs. But if a dragon can levitate itself into the air and stay in place, they can wield a sword with both forepaws, and in the forward-grip pattern."

"Good." The Time dragon commented. "Very good."

Kiros readjusted himself, and prepared to fly forwards.

"Now then. We shall have the standard training duel. The goal will be to disarm the opponent's weapon, and disarm only. No magic will be allowed to gain the upper hand: This also means that you may not use your Memory element to levitate in midair. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Rune replied, getting ready as well.

"Good. Wraith, please do the honors..."

"Right." The Crimson dragon stated. He cleared his throat, and began speaking.

"Three... Two... One... BEGIN!"

In a flash of movement, Rune and Kiros raced forwards at the same speed, and the sword clashing began.

After flying forwards a short distance, the Golden dragon came to a stop in midair and prepared to defend himself against the Black one's attack. The Prince, meanwhile, gripped his sword tightly in his forepaw and proceeded to swing it wildly about.

Rune made several attempts to strike Kiros, flying madly about the air above the arena floor and charging at his mentor. Whenever the Black dragon's sword came close to the Deep Shadow, Kiros would block it with little effort. Time and time again, Rune would fly around Kiros in circles in search of an opening, only to find that the Deep Shadow could turn around and deflect every attack in the nick of time.

At one point, the Black dragon flew undearneath Kiros, and came flying upwards to ram right through the Deep Shadow. However, the Golden dragon merely flew to the side, allowing the Prince to go flying past him uncontrollably. Kiros then countered by grabbing ahold of the Rune's tail, spinning around madly, and sending the Prince flying off in another direction, nearly unable to right himself. The Black dragon managed to get back in control of his flight path just before he crashed into the wall.

Wraith smirked as this happened.

"Easy there, your highness." The Crimson dragon chuckled.

Kiros, however, wasn't amused.

"Come now." The Golden dragon demanded. "Stop trying to rely on berserker tactics and fight me with grace."

Rune sighed in annoyance before flying back up to Kiros' level. He then got back into his battle stance, and prepared to try again. The Black dragon flew a short distance towards the Golden dragon, and then proceeded to swing his sword once again, only this time being slightly more calmed down.

Over and over again, the two dragons clashed with their swords in the air. The Prince was panting rapidly as he attempted to land a single blow on his tutor, finding no success the whole time. Kiros kept a stoic face as he held his guard, deflecting most of Rune's blows.

"How are you able to stay so calm?" Rune demanded while lunging.

"One must remain calm when wielding a bladed weapon of this size." The Deep Shadow replied, deflecting the blow. "Also, one must keep their mind **clear of distractions **on the battlefield, including practice battles. For example, pay no attention to that nasty wound you have."

"Huh?" Rune stopped to look himself over. "What wound?"

While the Prince was distracted, Kiros struck the younger dragon's forepaw with the flat end of his own sword, causing Rune to gasp in pain and drop his weapon. After this, the Golden dragon snatched the Prince's blade out of the air, flipped his own blade around, and held them in a scissor position on either side of Rune's neck. The Black dragon flinched in surprise and alarm.

"The wound that would be across your neck if you fall for minor trickery such as that." Kiros scolded.

Rune felt his face flush with embarrassment, while Wraith sneered.

"Okay, that was just cheap." The Crimson dragon stated disdainfully. "You won't get results out of the prince if you play him like a fool with sneaky wordplay like that."

Kiros turned his gaze downwards towards his comrade.

"The methods I use to teach the prince are no concern of yours, Wraith." He said coldly.

"Yes it is." Wraith snapped. "Don't get me wrong: I understand how you're trying to show the Prince that success isn't handed out on a silver platter, but now you're just hitting him with the platter."

"I find that offensive." Kiros responded. "I'll have you know that..."

As this argument went on, Rune suddenly realized that Kiros wasn't focusing on him anymore.

Without wasting anymore time, the Black dragon quickly slashed at both of the Golden dragon's forepaws with this talons. Kiros gasped in alarm, reflexively dropping the swords in the process. Rune then immediately dove downwards, grabbed both swords, and flew back upwards, pointing both swords towards Kiros' neck.

Both Deep Shadows were taken aback by what just happened.

"There." Rune stated, grinning. "I took advantage of your distraction, just like you did to me."

Kiros was silent for a short time. And then, he and Wraith started chuckled.

"You learn quickly, your highness." Kiros declared. He extended a paw out towards the prince. "We'll end your training session here. Return my sword to me."

Rune smiled, and did as his tutor asked.

"Thank you, Kiros."

The two dragons returned to the arena floor, and Wraith removed the spell around their swords.

"Go retrieve your belongings and be on your way." Kiros stated to the Prince. "You're done here, for now."

"Alright." Rune replied, bowing his head.

The Prince made his sword vanish in a cloud of smoke, and then turned towards the arena exit.

"Be sure to be back here in a few hours with your brother for your Magic training." Wraith called after him.

"Okay!"

And with that, Rune was gone.

Wraith turned to look at Kiros, who was resheathing his own sword. The Crimson dragon grimaced.

"You're awefully brutal, you know." He stated.

"How so?" Kiros queried.

"The way you train the Prince in swordsmanship hasn't been too easy for him. I don't see why you need to resort to cheak tricks in order to make him fail."

"That's not my intention." The Golden dragon snapped. "By using 'trickery', as you call it, I am teaching Rune to be aware of times when someone is trying to get the best of him. He needs to train his mind as well as his coordination when fighting in a battle."

"Yeah, sure." Wraith replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Next you'll tell me you only 'let him' swipe away your swords."

"Actually, no." Kiros declared stoicly. "That was a one-time mistake I made, I will not hide it. However, this should show him that even the most highly skilled of warriors can make a costly mistake."

"If you say so, man." The Crimson dragon turned towards a hallway. "I need to get things ready for the Princes' magic lesson. See ya around."

"Good day, Wraith." Kiros responded, bowing.

The two Deep Shadows left the chamber in separate ways, and the massive Statue of Lord Spyro slid out of the arena floor.

...

Tyrrany made her way through the many hallways and corridors of the FTCHQ, rarely saying a single word on her way to the cafeteria.

Time and time again, several of her father's many subordinates would pass by, and stop to greet the young heiress.

"Good morning, milady." A Cheetah said, saluting.

"It's a pleasure to see you today, ma'am." A Fire dragoness stated, bowing her head.

"I zee you're in good health, az alwayz." A Mole servant declared, smiling awkwardly.

"Whatever." The disguised dragoness replied coldly, to all three.

Tyrrany didn't care for any of their sycophancy. She believed that they were only trying to get on her good graces so that they wouldn't lose their jobs. Once the dragoness was out of sight, she could hear the contempt in their voices as they spoke behind her back, and felt the stares on her back.

But she didn't give a damn. None of them would ever dare to get on her bad side, nor would any amount of apologizing convince her not to exact her vengeance.

Eventually, Tyrrany arrived at the cafeteria of the HQ.

The cafeteria was a large chamber on the southern side of the building. A long food counter ran along the southernmost side of the room, blocking access to the kitchens, while a large arrangement of benches and tables were lined up in rows everywhere else. The floors were hardtile, and the walls were completely white, with several large Glass windows along the northernmost wall.

The disguised dragoness approached the counter, and was greeted by a Lioness lunch lady.

"Good morning, Ma'am." The Cat greeted.

"I'll have the usual." Tyrrany declared.

"Of course. Right away, milady."

Before long, the dragoness was handed a trayful of her usual breakfast: A few slabs of steak, a macintosh apple, and a tall glass of Cider. Tyrrany took the tray and turned to walk towards a seat.

The cafeteria was far from empty: a few other young dragons were already enjoying their meals near the front of the room, near the exit.

On the western side of the room sat several of the teenagers under Bergan's employ: among them were Flame, and Jenna. A short distance away was several young dragons whom Tyrrany didn't recognize, save for one: Johnathan. The Earth dragon was sitting amongst a crowd of teenagers who were all wearing either a bandanna or a rag of some sort. They certainly didn't seem the type to be sitting next to FTC employees.

When Tyrrany approached the gathering of young dragons, most of them turned their gaze towards her and fell completely silent. On one side, Flame greeted the disguised dragoness with a smile, and waved for her to sit down next to him, while Jenna awkwardly looked away. On the other side, most of the roguish teenagers were analyzing the approaching dragoness, while Johnathan's gaze became filled wit horror.

"Say, isn't that the chick you're going to be marrying soon, Johnny?" One of the rogues, an Orange Fire dragoness in a red bandana, asked the Green dragon. The Orange girl chuckled slightly. "She's a pretty good catch, man."

"Uh..." Johnathan stuttered fearfully. "Right..."

Tyrrany scoffed.

_Spineless pussy._

The disguised dragoness sat down next to Flame, while Jenna turned around to speak to Johnathan and his gang of friends.

"So..." The Pink dragoness began. "YOU'RE that Johnathan guy that everyone's been talking about."

"You bet he is!" Another roguish dragon, a Lighting dragon, declared. "You're sitting across from the infamous Johnny D, leader of the Crazy Aces!"

"Oh really..." Jenna stated halfheartedly.

"Yeah really!" A Time dragon boasted. "Johnny's the man!"

"Yeah..." The Earth dragon mumbled, carefully eyeing the diguised dragoness.

After making sure that Tyrrany wasn't paying attention, the Memory dragoness got up from the table and crept over to Johnathan. Although it appeared that the heiress wasn't listening, she was using her Sound element to listen in on what Jenna was about to say to the Earth dragon.

"I really feel for you, Johnathan." The Pink dragoness whispered.

"You do?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah. It must really suck being forced to marry that freak."

Tyrrany started to growl lowly in her throat, which caught Flame's attention.

"You okay, Anny?" He asked.

The Purple dragoness didn't respond.

"Uh.. Freak?" Johnathan repeated quietly. "W... What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Jenna asked, still whispering. "Just look at her: She's always wearing that weird black outfit all the time, day in and day out."

Tyrrany's growling started to get louder, but not enough for the Memory dragoness to hear.

"I don't think she's even a real dragon. I'll bet that under that outfit she's some sort of science experiment gone horribly awry, and President Bergan doesn't have the guts to have her executed."

This was the breaking point for Tyrrany.

The Purple dragoness got up from the table, stormed around it, and walked right up to Jenna, her eyes filled with fury.

"Why don't you say that to my FACE, bitch?" Tyrrany roared.

The Memory dragoness yelped in surprise and nearly leapt into the air: Johnathan almost did the same thing.

"I.. uh..." Jenna mumbled in shock.

"You what?" The Purple dragoness demanded. "You didn't think I could hear EVERY WORD YOU SAID?"

At this point, every other teenager in the room was watching what was happening, completely silent with awe.

"I... I wasn't talking about you, Tyrrany." Jenna said defensively.

"BULLSHIT."

The Pink dragoness started backing away down the aisle fearfully, with the Purple one advancing on her, her face filled with rage.

"I.. I'm sorry..." Jenna stuttered, shaking in fear.

"Damn right you are!"

In an instant, Tyrrany teleported over to the Pink dragoness's right side. The Purple dragoness immediatly struck Jenna in the back of the neck and grabbed ahold of her mane hair. Jenna screamed in pain as her neck was forced backwards by the enraged girl, unable to use her magic.

Johnathan and the other teenagers only looked on in horror, while Flame got up onto his feet.

"Anny, stop!" He shouted.

"Stay out of this, Flame." Tyrrany demanded. "This little cunt needs to be put in her place!"

"I'm sorry!" The Pink dragoness pleaded. "I'll never say anything like that ever again!"

"Of course you won't." The Purple dragoness replied coldly.

"What?"

Tyrrany charged her free forepaw with Earth magic, pulled backwards, tossed Jenna forewards, and suddenly punched her hard across the face. The force of the blow was so strong that sickening cracking sound could be heard upon impact. The Pink dragoness was sent flying several feet through the air, screaming the whole while. When Jenna crashed into the floor, she clutched her beaklike muzzle, which was now bleeding profusely. Several of the bones in her face were now severely broken.

"Holy shit!" Somebody shouted.

Most of the teenagers among the rogues were horrified, while a few of the FTC employees ran over to Jenna, who now cried miserably in pain.

Tyrrany looked about the room: Johnathan had a look of horror upon his face, while Flame had a look of disappointment. The disguised dragoness decided to walk up to the Earth dragon first, who was about to get up and run away upon seeing this.

"Hold it!" Tyrrany exclaimed. Johnathan flinched in fear.

"W... What?" He asked, shaking allover.

The Purple dragoness pointed a talon at the Pink one, who was now being helped onto her feet by the others.

"**That** was an example of me going easy on someone." Tyrrany said coldly. "You better hope to Lord Spyro that you don't see my full wrath brought upon someone, ESPECIALLY not you. Got it?"

"Y... Yes..." Johnathan replied. "And I swear, I'm really, really sorry about last night! Honest!"

"Say what?"

Flame overheard this, and stomped over to Tyrrany and Johnathan, anger on his face.

"WHAT happened?" He demanded.

"Uh..." The Earth dragon stammered.

"Nothing." Tyrrany answered blankly. "**Nothing** happened. Isn't that right, Johnny?"

"Right... Rigth!"

Flame had a look of confusion for a moment, but then shook his head. He turned and watched as several of the FTC employees took Jenna with them to the hospital wing of the HQ.

"Damn it, Anny..." He scolded. "Why did you have to do that to her?"

"She was asking for it." Tyrrany declared. "That bitch thinks she can badmouth me whenever she wants, so I decided to teach her a lesson."

"By doing THAT?" Flame exclaimed. "Don't you remember the last time you abused one of the younger members of the staff?"

"Yes, and I don't care." The Purple dragoness stated. She turned towards the exit. "I'm done here: I've lost my apetite."

"But..."

Tyrrany walked away, leaving Flame and Johnathan behind. The Red dragon sighed, and then turned to glare at the Green.

"What happened last night?" He demanded again.

"Nothing happened..." Johnathan said fearfully. "Seriously!"

"Is that so..." Flame scoffed. "We'll be talking about this later."

The Red dragon then turned to follow after Tyrrany. The Earth dragon was left alone: He exhaled with relief, and returned to his friends at the table.

"Damn." He muttered. "That chick is crazier than I thought."

...

The day had passed into the late afternoon in the city of Faeshrine.

Bergan was in his office, sitting behind his large Mahogany desk. A small, satisfied smile was etched onto his features as he busilly attended to various documents and scrolls that lay before him. Most of the documents were work orders and permits that required the Purple dragon's signature in order to be enacted.

Many factors and variables came while planning the construction of the new dragon city for the Luminaire Sovereignity. Many workers and contractors from Faeshrine, Aeroshard, and various other settlements would be needed to leave their homes for months at a time, possibly even years. And even though most of the materials needed to begin work had been preemptively gathered by the FTC, they still needed to be shipped to the Isle of Brisl'dur. This, combined with a few other "special plans" that Bergan had in motion, would take quite a while to get finished. Luckilly, Vice President Anthony would soon be authorized to take over getting everything together, leaving the President with free paws for his other devices.

As the Purple dragon was hard at work, there came a knocking at his office door. Even though he could not _see_ who it was, he _knew_ who it was all the same.

"Come on in, Saul." Bergan declared. "You'll find that the door is open."

Without a hitch, the Commander walked through the metal doorway, followed by Olivia, Angela, and Johnathan. As the foursome appraoched, the Purple dragon smiled when his eyes fell on the younger Earth dragon.

"Ah, just the young man I've been wanting to see." Bergan declared.

Alarm flared in the young dragon's eyes.

"You've been wanting to see me, sir?" He asked, stepping cautiously.

"Of course." The President replied, still smiling. "You and my daughter both. Which reminds me..."

Johnathan became filled with fear and worry as Bergan reached for a small, metal device on his desk.

_Oh shit. Please don't tell me he knows about what happened..._

Bergan pressed a small red button on the boxlike machine, and a strange, static-like sound filled the air for a brief moment.

"Jezebel," Bergan said to the box, "Please send my daughter Tyrrany and my two subordinates Flamaedelus and Arthur to my office."

"Rightaway, sir." A Cat's voice replied from the box.

Bergan pressed another button on the device, and the room became silent once again.

"What _is_ that contraption?" Angela inquired.

"It's a little prototype of a machine I've invented." Bergan answered. "I call it an intercom. It enables one to communicate with another clear across the building."

"Fascinating..." Saul stated sternly, "But there is a certain matter that I wish to discuss with you."

"And what would that be, Saul?" Bergan wondered.

The Commander reached inside his Red cape, and soon produced a small, silver coin.

"It's a matter that only _certain individuals_ should be allowed to hear."

The Earth dragon placed the coin on the table before Bergan, keeping it partially hidden from his family's view.

On one side of the coin, there was an engraving of a Black dragon being beheaded by a Golden dragon wielding a shining Golden sword.. On the other side of the coin was a message inscribed in ancient draconian runes:

_Umbrus sivi Superus._

The coin was one of several that used to belong to the Darkstalkers.

"...Light shines supreme." Bergan whispered, his eyes crossed. He looked around at Olivia, Angela and Johnathan. "I'm afraid that I must ask you lot to stand outside in the hallway for a few moments."

"Why?" Olivia demanded.

"Just do it, love." Saul commanded sternly. "Our following discussion is extremely private."

The Commander's wife sighed.

"As you wish, Saul."

Olivia, Angela and Johnathan all turned around to leave the room, while Bergan repositioned himself on his cushion.

Once the two adults were alone, the Purple dragon reached into his cloak and produced a silver coin of his own, similar to Saul's, and placed it on the desk before the other. As this happened, Saul spoke a saying in the ancient Draconian language.

"Tamquam longus tamquam Tenebra tamen accola in,…" The Commander said determindly.

As long as Darkness still lives on….

"…Lux voluntas numquam quiesco." Bergan replied.

..Light will never rest.

An air of silence hung about as the two dragons, two members of the Darkstalkers, looked directly at each other. Eventually, the Earth dragon spoke.

"I am planning something that must not leave this room." Saul stated. "Something that may get me branded a traitor in the eyes of the rest of the world."

"What do you mean?" Bergan queried.

"I am planning to have the two Black-hided creatures known as Prince Cyrus and Prince Rune of Warfang... eliminated."

"I see..."

"I also plan on having the latter Prince be brought to me, so that I may slay him personally."

Another long pause came.

"How exactly do you plan on doing this?" The Purple dragon wondered. "And why?"

"Four years ago, my family and I lost almost all the remaining family that we had." The Commander responded. "My father-in-law Richteriel lost his life at the hands of the Black monster Bane, just as the other Senior members of our order did. Furthermore, the city was taken over by the Dark Bastards, and soon had Elenar around to be their Queen once again."

"I know all of this." Bergan replied.

"Ah, but there is more. When the new Council came, I planned on announcing my revenge on Elenar and her brood in the form of a vendetta, demanding that they either surrender to me, or face extermination in the form of war. However, I did not expect so many of the other Leaders of the settlements to announce their willing support of the Dark Bastards: Why, even my relative Telus of Glenhaven did so, as did your Vice President."

The Purple dragon scoffed.

"I allowed Anthony to do as he pleased. And I do believe he told me that he told **you** that the FTC would still happily accept your city as its business associate, which we still are."

"I know that, but still, I lost my chance at revenge that day. However, I plan to get it back by torturing Elenar with the assassinations of her two demon children. And I can guarantee that Rune's death will be one so horrible that no being has ever imagined."

"Why do you view that particular Prince with such hatred?" Bergan inquired.

"Because, during the council, one Leader after another spoke of how they were either indebted to that boy, or knew him to much to willingly allow harm to come his or his people's way. Were it not for that brat, my revenge would've been absolute."

"I see..." The President said coldly. "So, why do you tell me this? As far as most others in the world know, I am on good terms with most of the world. If I lent a forepaw in the Princes' murders, not only would I be branded a traitor, but my company would be despised for all of time."

"I'm not asking for your direct aid." Saul replied. "However, what I AM asking is that you transport my son and his group of companions to Warfang in your carriages."

"Hmm?" Bergan ran a forepaw through his beard. "What purpose would that serve?"

"Johnathan has the same bloodlust that I have. He wants to get revenge on the ruling family of Warfang, and I plan to have him get it. He and his gang, the Crazy Aces, shall sneak into the city, find the princes, assassinate Cyrus, abduct Rune, and bring him to me. In order to get an entire gang into Warfang, however, I need them to be transported in secrecy, and your FTC carriages are the best way do to it. So, what do you say: Will you help me, old friend?"

The President sat in thought for a few minutes. And then, he began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Saul demanded. "I'm being serious."

"I'd be more than happy to aid you..." The Purple dragon stated. "...as long as you're willing to aid **me** in turn."

"What?" The Commande asked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Tell your son to come back inside. I'll explain it to the both of you."

Shrugging, Saul turned around and approached the doorway of the office. He pulled it open, and called for his son.

"Johnathan! Come here."

Without a hitch, the young Earth dragon walked inside, fear in his eyes. Before Saul could wonder what that was about, he saw three other teenagers following close behind him: Flame, Arthur, and Tyrrany.

"Ah, good to see you all here at once." Bergan announced happily. "This will save quite a lot of time."

Once Saul and the young beings were all standing before the desk together, Tyrrany spoke.

"Why did you need to see us, father?" She asked.

"Well, for starters..." The Purple dragon began to glare at his daughter. "I have recently been told that, once again, you have horribly injured one of my staff members in an act of brutal violence."

The disguised dragoness gasped, and then looked down at the floor ashamedly.

"I'm sorry, father." She said miserably.

"Saying sorry to me won't fix the mess you've created." Bergan scolded. "I now have to go to great lengths to pay for that girl's medical bills, as well as apoligize to her parents, to keep her on my staff and her parents from filing a complaint against me. These things have severe consequences, Tyrrany. You should know this by now."

The dragoness didn't respond; she merely hung her head low.

The President sighed.

"In any case," He added, "There's a few other things to discuss. Tyrrany, pull back your hood and remove your cloak."

Tyrrany's eyes immediatly flared with alarm.

"What?" She demanded.

"It's high time that you and I stop keeping secrets from Johnathan and Saul." Bergan responded.

Johnathan became filled with insecurity as well, while his father was confused.

"Secrets?" The Commander repeated. "What secrets?"

"Tyrrany, show them your scales." Bergan commanded. "Now."

"Y... Yes, father."

The dragoness sat on her haunches and cautiosly lifted her forepaws up to her hood. With fearful hands, she slowly pulled her hood backwards, revealing the lines where her Purple makeup came to a stop and her naturally White scales began to show. After this, Tyrrany undid the bindings on her neck, and let her Black cloak slump to the floor.

Johnathan knew what to expect, but Saul was all but horrified.

"BY THE ANCESTORS!" He declared. "SHE'S A-!"

In an instant, Bergan had run around the desk and clasped a forepaw over Saul's mouth, keeping it shut. As the Commander was surprised by Bergan's sudden movements, the Purple dragon spoke with an air of irritation.

"I would kindly ask you to keep your voice down." He scowled.

Bergan let go of Saul's mouth and backed up.

"Yes: Tyrrany, my eldest daughter, is in fact a White dragoness. I have raised her since I found her lost in the woods many years ago, and have had her wear this disguise for her own protection."

The adult Earth dragon stood on his gaurd, as it Tyrrany was about to attack him like a wild animal.

"This whole time, you were a White D.-"

"If you value your life," Bergan sneered, "You will stop yourself from insulting my daughter in my presence."

Flame and Arthur glared up at the Earth dragon as well.

_Jackass,_ Flame thought with disdain.

"Uh, right..." Saul stuttered.

The Purple dragon rolled his eyes.

"Tyrrany's magical potential and prowess is far more advanced than that of any normal dragon." He said sternly. "She would make a valuable asset to you, Saul: Both as your daughter-in-law, and as an accomplice in your... plans. Do you understand me?"

"Plans?" Arthur wondered out loud.

"Clear as crystal, Bergan..." Saul glanced down at his son. "Johnathan, the fact that Tyrrany is a White dragoness doesn't change your willingness to marry her, does it?"

"Uh..." The young Earth dragon glanced around at the other teenagers.

Flame and Arthur sneered, but said nothing. Tyrrany, however, glared directly at the heir, and projected her thoughts into his head.

_Make a scene, and I am telling our fathers what you tried to do._

"...No, it doesn't." Johnathan said, chuckling nervously. "Why... I'm still more than happy to take her on as my wife."

"Good." Bergan declared. "Now then, on to the next order of business: All four of you youngsters shall be preparing to leave for Warfang on the morrow."

Tyrrany's eyes lit up.

"What for, sir?" Flame asked. The Purple dragon looked direclty at his daughter and smiled.

"Tyrrany, I have finally decided: You are ready to head for Warfang to confront your mother."

The dragoness gasped in delight. She ran forwards and hugged Bergan tightly.

"Thank you, Father!" She exclaimed. "I've been waiting so long for this day!"

The Purple dragon chuckled and hugged her back.

"Your welcome, dear."

"Now, hold on for a moment." Saul demanded. "What's this about confronting her mother? And how do you know she's in Warfang?"

"I should think the answer is plain as day." The Purple dragon replied. He pointed a talon at one of Tyrrany's sides as his daughter let go of him. "Do you see these Red glyphs?"

When Saul spotted the Red birthmarks, he nearly jumped in surprise.

"Impossible!" He declared.

"Quite the opposite, Saul." Bergan replied. "Tyrrany is the daughter of both myself, and none other than Queen Elenar."

"But how?" The Commander demanded.

The White dragoness growled in her throat, while Bergan sighed.

"It's a very sad tail, my friend." He said solemnly. "Once upon a time, Elenar and I were slated to marry. However, when Elenar discovered that her child, Tyrrany, would be a White dragoness, the Pain dragoness tossed the poor egg off into the deepest parts of the Tarune forest, and broke off all ties and connections to me, no less. I spent quite some time searching for my lost offspring, and eventually succeeded, though my daughter almost died of the flu. But I managed to heal her, and she has lived her, in disguise, ever since."

"Oh..."

Bergan turned his gaze torwards the three male teenagers.

"Now, you three are to serve as Tyrrany's bodyguards while she is in Warfang. You are to make sure no harm comes to her, nor are you to allow her to be captured by Elenar's forces. Flame and Arthur, your respective parents already know of your assignment, while I'm sure **your** parents shall both know soon enough, Johnathan. Is that undestood?"

"Yes, sir." Flame, Arthur and Johnathan said in unison.

"Good. Flame, Arthur and Tyrrany, I want you three to go prepare for your journey."

"Go do the same, Johnathan." Saul commanded. "And tell your _friends_ to get ready as well."

"Yes, father."

Tyrrany placed her cloak back around herself, and she and the three boys all left the office. This left Bergan and Saul alone once again.

"I hope you're aware that neither I, my daughter, or any of my subordinates shall have any involvement in your personal aims, Saul." The Purple dragon stated.

"I know that fully well." The Green one replied. "Although, I'd be more than happy to have my son aid you in your quest all the same."

"It's not **my** quest, to be honest." Bergan replied. "This is what my daughter wanted to do for most of her life, and I've decided to let her do it. She shall be operating in just as much secrecy as your son."

"I suppose that makes sense. But it will create quite a mess to fix once it's finally been done."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Although, speaking of Elenar..."

Bergan walked around his desk and opened up two of the drawers.

"What are you doing?" Saul queried.

The Purple dragon produced two items, one from each drawer: A sword, and a necklace.

The sword's blade was Gold in color, and decorated with Silver patterns. The Hilt was completely White, with the image of a Red Set of Scales etched into each side of the guard. A lare Saphire gemstone was emblazoned in the sword's pommel.

The necklace was made of Jade, and had an intricate design on each piece of metal.

"What are those?" Saul queried.

"This sword and this necklace both have a twin." Bergan declared. "The sword's fraternal twin in no doubt still in the royal family's posession. Though I wonder if the necklace's twin is still in the Queen's possession..."


	25. Act 1, Chapter 5 FM

Act 1, Chapter 5

That same morning, in the city of Glenhaven.

Nellie was still fast asleep on her straw mattress as the morning sun crept across the horizon.

Her small chamber was the same Bluish-grey color that it had always been. The dragoness's mattress sat by the east wall, while a large wooden dresser sat parallel to it on the other side. A small window was carved into the far wall, which allowed the sun's rays to fill the chamber with light.

As the young dragoness slept, she mumbled slightly in her sleep. As this happened, her mother Seraph opened her chamber door and walked inside.

Seraph was of a decent height for a Water dragoness, and had a slightly curvey build. Her Light Blue hide was perfectly complemented by her Ocean Blue underbelly. She had two Silver horns, which bent backwards and down her head. Her Dark Blue mane fell neatly down her figure, and stopped about halfway between her lower jaw, and the base of her neck. A small, Tear-shaped birthmark was hidden underneath her hair.

Seraph looked directly at her daughter as she approached, and she smiled warmly as she shook Nellie's back to awaken her.

"Wake up, Sweetie. It's time to get ready for school."

After about a moment, Nellie yawned greatly, her white fangs protruding slightly from her muzzle. The young dragoness then wiped her eyes with her forepaws, and steadily sat up.

Nellie was now sixteen years old.

Her Light Blue frame had become decidedly feminine, with a significantly curvey rear. Her two Pink, backwards-bending horns had grown slightly thicker, and noticeably longer in the back. Her Bright, Blue mane had grown longer on the back, and was now slightly more wild in appearance. Her Tear-shaped birthmark could be partially seen just underneath her left horn.

Nellie yawned again, and looked up at her mother with her Maroon eyes.

"Good morning, Mom." She greeted, smiling. "Is Blank up yet?"

"He just left, Nellie." Seraph answered. "He's gone to meet up with those friends of his so they could all go to the Palace together."

The younger dragoness sighed.

"I don't understand him." She stated. "Why does Blank get up so early if he hates going to school?"

Seraph chuckled.

"Blankridge has always been a morning person." She replied. "I remember back when you two hatched from your eggs: While your father and I were waiting for you two to hatch, we had decided to get some sleep. When we woke up, we were surprised to see that, not only had Blankridge already hatched, but he had managed to make it all the way across our chamber and was scratching at our door, trying to get out and explore the world."

Nellie giggled.

"I guess I'll get ready and meet up with the others at the Palace." She declared.

"Okay Sweetie." Seraph replied.

As the older dragoness turned to leave the chamber, Nellie got up to prepare for school.

The young dragoness approached her dresser, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a few Pink bands from inside. She then slipped two of them over her forepaws, and tightened the straps so they wouldn't fall off. She also slipped two more bands over her hindpaws, and tightened them in the same way.

After doing this, Nellie closed her drawer and looked upon the top part of her dresser. Sitting in the center, just before a large mirror, were two small portraits in elegant frames. One was a portrait of herself and her family, while the other was a portrait of just the Water dragoness, and a young Black dragon. Rune.

In the picture, Rune and Nellie were twelve years old. They had just recently reunited after the Black dragon spent six months living in Warfang, and were currently hugging each other, with their eyes fixed happily upon the viewer.

Nellie picked up the second portrait and looked down at Rune, her face blushing partially as she smiled back at the Black dragon.

"I can't wait to see you later this week, Rune." She said happily.

Ever since Rune and Nellie had announced their feelings for each other and started dating, both young dragons had been waiting for a very special occasion: The day of the Bonds. Since this holiday was all about love and young dragons getting together, they were planning on spending the whole day together, as well as officially announce their relationship. Nellie was expecting it to be one of the greatest days in her life, and she could hardly wait for the Black dragon to arrive in Glenhaven. Her father Hontus had left for the city of Commerce just the morning before this one, so the wait wasn't going to be too long.

Nellie sat her portrait back down, grabbed a small brown satchel off the floor of the other side of her chamber, and hung it around herself. She then turned towards the doorway of her room, a skip in her step as she went.

The Water dragoness approached the front of her parents' dwelling. As she glanced around at the stone walls of her home, she took note of various Blue-and-Green streamers that were hung around in various places. At the front of the home, in the living room, Nellie's mother had hung up several more streamers over the wooden desks and other pieces of furniture, and was in the middle of hanging up even more over the entrance to their home.

Nellie approached Seraph and chuckled slightly.

"Is this really all necessary, Mom?" She asked.

"Well, I want the place to look festive when your Aunt arrives, Nellie." The adult dragoness replied, tying a small knot above the left corner of the door. "And besides, there **is** a Holiday coming up: It only makes sense for there to be decorations hanging about."

"If you say so, Mom..."

Nellie's aunt was a Water dragoness named Nymph, who was Seraph's older sister. Nymph was the owner of several massive acres of land, as well as a few villages, in the Aechos Valley, which lied to the West of the desert. The land had been in possesion of the Royal family of Clan Pisces after the war ended, and after a few negoiations with the locals, the dragoness was made the Baroness of the Valley, and became known as Madam Nymph.

About a week and a half ago, Nymph sent a letter to Seraph, inviting her and her family to come see the Baroness for the Day of the Bonds. Seraph wrote back saying that she wasn't currently in the position to take her family and leave Glenhaven, even for a short time. So, the two Water dragonesses decided that Nymph and her family would instead visit Seraph in the city, and would arrive just a couple of days prior to the Holiday. The Baroness and her husband Hugo were arranged to stay at a hotel, but Seraph prepared her dwelling's Guest Room for Nymph's son Rupert to use, in case the young Noble wished to stay there.

After looking around at the streamers once again, Nellie cleared her throat.

"Um, could you move for a minute, Mom?" The young dragoness asked. "You're kinda blocking the door."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sweetie." Seraph responded.

The adult dragoness backed away from the door, grabbing the knob and opening it for her daughter. The younger dragoness proceeded to head out the opening, smiling.

"Thanks, Mom." She stated. "Well, I've got to get going. Bye!"

Nellie spread her wings, and prepared to take off into flight.

"Have a good day at the Palace, Nellie." Seraph called after her. "I'll see you and your brother later!"

"Okay!"

...

Glenhaven Palace stood prominently on a massive pillar of Rock and Stone in the center of the city, just as it always had for hundreds of years. The Sunlight shined brilliantly against the Palace structure, creating a massive shadow across the Western side of the city.

A large number of young dragons of various ages were lining up on the palace stoop, chatting and yelling amongst themselves as they entered the massive building. Most of the young dragons were of the Light kind, but a few of the more recent students were of the Dark. Most of the young dragons were able to get along just fine with each other, despite Elder Telus's past outlook on the Dark dragon race.

As most of the students rushed past to get inside the palace, a young Earth dragoness stayed on the outer edge of the stoop, waiting patiently for her friend to arrive.

It was Emerald, Telus' granddaughter, and one of the richest dragons in Glenhaven.

Emerald was fairly tall, and was thin, yet significantly muscular. Her hide was the same color as her name suggested, while her underbelly was a significantly lighter shade. Her Grass green horns bent backwards and upwards behind her eyes, which also matched her name's color. Her Dark Green mane was as short and wildly groomed as it always had been. A fine leather satchel was hung around her neck, and a series of Bronze and Silver rings were decorated on her foretalons. A Silver chain was worn on each of her two horns, gleaming in the moderate sunlight.

Emerald yawned slightly, covering it with a forepaw.

"Where is she?" The Earth dragoness wondered.

Before long, Nellie came to a landing a short distance away from Emerald, a smile on both girls' faces.

"Morning, Nellie." Emerald greeted warmly.

"Hi, Emmy." The Water dragoness replied, walking up to her. "Did you sleep well last night."

The Green dragoness grimaced.

"Barely." She stated with chagrin. "That little brat kept me up with his crying again."

Nellie giggled.

"Well, he **is** only a hatchling, you know." She replied. "He can't help it."

Quite recently, Emerald's parents, a pair of Guardians named Mimet and Jules, had conceived another child: A Lighting hatchling whom they named Ruby. He was a cute enough little dragon, but he had the habit of crying loudly whenever he wanted something; usually in the middle of the night.

"It's a wonder that I'm able to get any sleep at all." The Green dragoness stammered. "I think I'm starting to get wrinkles under my eyes."

The Water dragoness giggled again.

"You're fine, Emerald." She reassured.

"You're awefully happy today." The Green dragoness commented, an eye raised. "What's gotten you so giddy?"

"Is it wrong for me to be?" Nellie asked. "Rune's going to be arriving in a few days, and just in time for the Day of the Bonds!"

"Oh yeah." Emerald responded, smiling. "You two are going to be spending as much time as possible together on the holiday, right?"

"You better belive it!" The Blue girl declared. "I can hardly wait for him to-"

Suddenly, the morning School bell rang, and the two dragonesses gasped.

"The classes will be starting soon!" Emerald declared. "Let's continue our conversation inside!"

"Okay!" Nellie agreed.

The Two dragonesses ran inside as fast as they could, joining with all the other almost-tardy students in their haste.

As this happened, a third dragoness was standing a short distance from where Emerald and Nellie had been, and was walking casually up the steps. This other girl had been listening in on their conversation the whole time, and had a scornful glare in her Topaz eyes.

It was a Lightning dragoness named Roxanne.

Roxanne was seventeen years old. She was fairly tall, and had a slender, Bright Yellow build. Her underbelly was Grass Green, as were her talons. Her short, well-kept mane was Electric Blue, and she had four Teal-colord horns that all grew like Lightning bolts: two largers ones were just above her eyes, and two smaller ones behind her jaw. A cheaply made Brown satchel hung around her neck, and a single, Copper ring was on her left middle talon, with a tiny Agate embedded in the center.

Roxanne's parents, an Earth dragon named Seamus and a Lighting dragoness named Renee, where the owners and proprietors of a small tavern on the southern side of Glenhaven. A long time ago, Roxanne and Nellie were friends: The best of friends, in fact. But one day, roughly four years ago, something happened. Something that changed Roxanne's entire opinion on the Water dragoness.

As the Lighting dragoness slowly followed after Emerald and Nellie, she scowled.

"You incestuous, Blue-hided skank." She snarled quietly to herself.

With a huff, Roxanne walked into the Palace.

...

Nellie spent the next few hours attending her usual classes.

She and Emerald shared most of the same classes, such as Dragon History, Physical Combat training, Magical Studies Grade Three, and the occasional training session with one of the Dragon Elders. In the last four years, Nellie, Emerald, and Blankridge had all been moving on to the advanced stages of their training to take on Guardianship. They weren't the only ones, however: Most of the Guardians of Glenhaven had at least two or more pupils that they were training. Nonetheless, they all had high marks, so they made prime candidates.

After the girls' Magical Studies class came to an end, they walked out into the hallway and blended in with the large crowd of students.

The young dragons of Glenhaven, those that were under the age of eighteen, made up at least a third of the draconic population of the city. As such, the Glenhaven Palace had over two dozen various classrooms on multiple sections in the massive mound of Rock and Earth that the Palace stood upon. Furthermore, all the layers of the network of floors were built around the massive Arena that sat on the bottommost layer. To prevent students from getting lost, various signs were posted around the many hallways, instructing the young dragons, and nondragon staff members, on where they were.

As Nellie and Emerald walked along, they chatted the whole way.

"So, you getting ready for the Holiday, Emerald?" The Blue dragoness queried. "Any plans?"

"Not quite yet." The Green dragoness stated. "Though I think I may ask around to see if anyone wants to go with me."

Nellie chuckled.

"Do you really need to do that?" She asked. "I'm sure a certain _someone_ would like to ask you out."

"Oh, I know that." Emerald replied, smiling. "But It wouldn't hurt to have more than one option available in case he doesn't work up the nerve to ask me."

"_You_ could always ask _him_, though."

The Green dragoness sighed.

"I'm not that kind of girl, Nellie." She scolded.

"But what if somebody else asks him?" Nellie replied.

"What makes you think that would happen?"

"Well..."

Before the Blue dragoness could say anything, a sounds of a gathered crowd started creeping into existance a good distance down the hall. It grew louder and louder as it approached.

"Well, speak of the Devil." Emerald commented.

Down the hall, in the center of a large gathering of young dragons, was a group of four teenaged dragons, each one of a different element.

It was Blankridge, and his small gang of friends: Keith, Tesla, and Marble.

Blank's Vibrant Orange hide had become decidedly muscular. His bright Red horns pointed backwards from just behind his head like always, but now had a Brown bandana just behind it, which covered most of his short, Dark Blue mane. He had the same mischievous gleam in his Maroon eyes. A thick Brown burlap sak was worn around him.

Keith was a Lightning dragon, and about six months older than Blankridge. His Topaz hide was of an average build, while his Light Brown underbelly served as a stark contrast. His three thin, Azure horns all curled upwards: One grew forwards from just above and between his Sky Blue eyes, while the other two grew from just behind his eyes at about the same height as the first one. His Golden mane, was wildly kept, and partially covered his left eye. He wore a Burlap sack as well.

Tesla was a Fire dragoness, about fourteen years old. Her Fiery Red hide was perfectly complemented by her Bright yellow Underbelly, and she glistened like a wondrous flame when the light hit her scales. Her four Golden horns bent like think stalks Lightning on the back of her head, though this was contrasted by her Grass green mane, which was worn in a long ponytail in a short brown scrunchie. She wore a few pieces of Bronze jewelry on her talons, and a pair of Red ribbons on each of her horns. Lastly, a small Yellow satchel was worn around her neck.

Marble, an Earth dragon, was roughly sixteen years old, though younger than Blankridge. Despite his age, his Bright Green hide was significantly shorter than he should've been, and thinner as well. His underbelly was Dark Green, while his wing membranes were a bright Red. He had a ragged, Red mane, which had a few chunks of dirt caught in it and partially covered his earholes. He had two Ocean Blue eyes, and two short, Dark Grey horns on either side of his head, which curled backwards and upwards a short distance. He wore a short, dusty, Brown smith cape over his body, and a pair or metal gauntlets on each of his forepaws that went up to his legjoints.

During the last four years, Blankridge discovered that he had a talent for singing, which he had previously never noticed. So, not wanting it to go to waste, the Orange Fire dragon started looking for ways to put his talent to use. After spending a few months singing on his own, he eventually started performing together with a few of his friends from school. Before he knew it, Blankridge and his gang had become an entire band: The Orange dragon did vocals, Keith played a violin, Tesla played a harp, and Marble played with drums. They were playing various songs for free here and there, at first, but over time, the four young dragons had become one of the most popular bands in all of Glenhaven.

Blank's gang had just come from their band practice, and were now trying to make their way through the hallways of the school, which was more than a little troublesome. Many of the group's fanbase had started following after them. Blank, Keith and Tesla didn't mind this much, but Marble had his reservations.

"Uh, excuse us, please." The Green dragon stated anxiously. "We need to get through."

"Oh, learn to live a little, man." Blank teased.

"Yeah." Keith added as he smiled at a few dragonesses in the crowd. "It's not often that THIS happens to guys like us."

Tesla cleared her throat loudly when she heard this.

"Or girls." Keith quickly added, grimacing. "This doesn't often happen to guys _or girls _like us."

"Much better." The Fire dragoness stated, grinning.

"Hey, look!" Blankridge declared, pointing past the crowd. "It's Sis and Emmy!"

"Emerald?" Marble asked, eyes wide.

"Let's go pay them a visit, shall we?" Blank declared, hastening his pace. "They probably haven't heard the news yet."

"Yeah..."

The other three dragons followed behind the Orange dragon as he approached the Water and Earth dragonesses. The crowd followed afterwards, but kept a short distance.

"Hey, girls." Blank greeted when he finally stopped before them.

"Morning, guys." Nellie replied to the gang.

"Doing good today, Nell-bell?" Tesla asked

"Uh-huh."

As this went on, Marble approached Emerald, smiling slightly.

"Hi, Emmy." The male Earth dragon said warmly.

"Hello, Marble." The dragoness replied, smiling.

Unlike Keith or Tesla, Marble had known Emerald and Nellie for a significantly long portion of time.

Outside of school at the Palace, Marble had a part-time job working for Emerald's father Jules. Since the Lightning Guardian also served as the Captian of the Guard of Glenhaven, he had a few young dragons under his employ as squires and smiths, and Marble was one of the latter. During the first year of working for the Guardian, he became friends with Emerald, and through this, became introduced to Nelle and Blankridge.

"Did you girls here the latest gossip?" Keith asked Nellie and Emerald.

"Not really." Nellier answered. "What is it?"

"Word on the street is," Blank began, "That there's a new student arriving from the Fractured Hills today. Some kid of a big important group of people."

"Really?" Emerald queried.

"Most likely." Tesla replied. "There's a rumor floating around that it's a Memory dragoness, and the daughter of the Hills' Leader... or something."

"I think she's supposed to be introduced in Dragon History: Our next class." Blank added. "We'd better head over there before the bell rings."

"Since when are **you** so eager to head for a classroom?" Nellie said incredulously.

"Hey, it's always fun to see a new student around here, especially one who's important enough to have rumors about them."

"Riiight."

Blank turned towards Keith and Tesla and grinned.

"I'll see you guys later for practice after school." He declared.

"Gotcha, Blank." They said in unison.

The Orange dragon turned towards Marble.

"You coming, Marble?" He asked.

"Uh.. okay." The male Earth dragon stammered.

Blankridge, Nellie, Emerald and Marble walked off in one direction, while Keith and Tesla walked in the other one, heading down a side hallway. The two groups waved to each other before focusing on their next destinations.

...

Dragon History class was one of the more diverse classes in the Palace. Because the subject wasn't one that could be restricted by a dragon's age or element, many young dragons of various elements and between the start and end of puberty attended it.

The classroom itself was arrange in a semicircular patter, with the teacher's wooden desk sitting at the front of the chamber, and the students' desks arranged in rows around it, with each row a short distance higher up than the one preceding it. The walls were made of Red stone, and at least three dozen torches kept the room illuminated on all sides. A series of chalkboards set behind the teacher's desk, most of which had a multitude of notes, diagrams and other such things written on them with white chalk. Two metal doors stood on each side of the room, and each one had a glass window in it to reveal the hallway outside.

After filing into the room, the students had all taken their seats before a desk, and started goofing off: There was still some free time before Voden, the Orange-hided Fire Guardian, arrived to begin the class. Emerald, Marble, Blankridge and Nellie all sat down within close proximity of each other on the right side of the classroom. The first three started chatting amongst themselves, while Nellie sat on the far left of the group, and pulled a scroll, a Quill pen, and a hardcover book titled "A History of the dragon race: 1 N. A. through 249 N. A".

The Water dragoness proceeded to work on a drawing she had started just a few weeks ago: It was a highly detailed scetch of herself, and Rune. The two dragons were in adult forms, though they were partially uncompleted. They were facing each other, but their heads were tilted downwards towards a blank space between them, though they had no features in their eyes. At the top of the scroll, in a massive Bold print, were the words:

_**Rune and Nellie, together for all time.**_

Nellie had been working on this drawing for about half a week now, She intended to give it to Rune as a present for the Day of the Bonds. Whenever she took some time to work on it, she felt herself blushing: For some time now, there was a certain... _thing_ she wanted to do with the Black dragon. She never told anyone about it, since it was rather embarrassing. This was made especially apparent by the fact that it was now well known that Rune was a Prince of the Dark Dragon Monarchy: Everyone knew Nellie was dating him, and gossip would surely spread like wildfire. So, the Water dragoness kept her feelings hidden on a piece of scroll: Rune would be the only one she'd entrust with the secret that she wanted their relationship to escalate.

Nellie got to work finishing Rune's tail, smiling as she worked. She still had a long way to go, but she was still satisfied with her current progress.

_I think I can finish it by the time Rune arrives for the Holiday,_ she thought to herself.

As the Blue dragoness was about to bring her Quill down to put the last touches on the Black dragon's tail, a wad of paper suddenly struck her hard against the back of her head. She gasped in surprise and pain, dropping her Quill in the process.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "Who did that?"

As Nellie was asking this, her brother had reached down and picked up the paper, glaring.

"**They** did it." Blank sneered, pointing with a talon towards the other side of the classroom.

The Blue dragoness rubbed her head while following the Orange dragon's talon, and then scowled when she saw them.

"Of course." She said irritably.

Across the room, three teenaged dragons, two males and a female, were looking right at Nellie. The two males were chuckling, while the female glared at the other dragoness.

It was the trio of Roxanne, Vaun and Aaron.

Vaun was a Water dragon, roughly Nellie's age. He had s bizarrly thin, yet still masculine, Royal Blue hide, with a reddish-brown underbelly. He had two diagonal, Bright Brown horns that grew just above Dark Green eyes, and his Dark, almost Black mane was neatly trimmed.

Aaron, on the other hand, was an Earth dragon, about seventeen seventeen years old. He had a thick, somewhat chubby, Dirt Brown hide, and a Grass green underbelly. He had four, thick, Bright yellow horns which all curled backwards: Two thinner ones that sat above his Sun Yellow eyes, and two fatter ones which sat behind his eyes. He had a messy, Light Brown mane.

Vaun and Aaron were Roxanne's two best friends, though both of them were on the poorer side of living. Vaun used to live in the Glenhaven Orphanage, before he was adopted into a family of Water dragon farmers when he was five years old. Aaron, on the other hand, was the oldest son of a pair of Earth dragons who worked for Roxanne's parents in their tavern. The two boys seemed more like goons than friends, as they agreed with most of the things she said.

Nellie growled at the trio.

"That's **real** mature, Roxanne." The Water dragoness spat. "Throwing a chunk of paper at me. Wow."

The Lightning dragoness scoffed.

"Only as immature as drawing doodles before class starts." Roxanne remarked.

"Oh, shut up." Blank snapped. "And Leave Nellie alone."

"Ooooh!" Aaron declared, feining astonishment. "It looks like Big Bad Blanky is protecting is precious sister again."

"Don't you DARE call me that!" The Orange dragon demanded. Vaun and Aaron chuckled again.

"Nice comeback, Blanky." Vaun grinned. "You'd think the kids of a Guardian could afford some brain cells to come up with something original."

By this point, Emerald and Marble had become aware of what was happening.

"Why do you all insist on picking fights like this?" The Green dragoness scolded. "I mean really, Roxanne, you and Nellie used to be such good friends."

"Shut your trap, Rich Bitch!" The Lighting dragoness snapped. "You don't have the right to throw in your two billion cents' worth."

"Hey!" Marble exclaimed angrilly. "Leave Emerald alone!"

Roxanne's two goons chuckled again.

"Yet another brainless chump who does whatever he can to make the righ girls happy." Aaron declared.

"I'm not brainless!" The Green Earth dragon snapped.

"Seriously, why waste your tme hanging around those bimbos?" Vaun asked. "You're not nearly as rich as they are. And besides, there's hundreds of girls around who don't think they're better than you."

"Hey, lay off him!" Blank shouted.

"And I'll kindly ask to NOT call me, or Nellie, a 'bimbo'." Emerald added, just as angry.

"Oh please." Roxanne chided. "Like the size of your wallets makes you two higher authorities than us."

"Screw you!"

The two groups were about to erupt into a large arguement, but were suddenly caught off-guard by the opening of the metal door in the front right corner of the room. All the students in the room suddenly fell silent and sat at their seats as Voden entered the room, followed shortly by a young Pink dragoness.

Voden was roughly in his late thirties. His Orange hide was as muscular as it always had been, while his Sunlight Yellow underbelly had gained a few scars here and there. His tw thick Yellow horns curled backwards atop his head, jutting out from his ragged Black mane. His Ruby Red eyes darted around the room with the same kindly demeanor he always had about him, and a thick Red Guardian's Bangle shined around his neck. A large, brown, and almost saddle-like piece of clothing was worn on his back, and each side of the "saddle" had a thick bag tied to it, both of them filled to the brim with various items required to teach the History class.

The young dragoness, no doubt a Memory dragoness, looked about twelve years old. Her underbelly was a lighter shade of Pink than her scales, and her wing membranes were a matching hue. Her eyes were Royal Blue, and her thick yet short Yellow horns curled backwards and sideways past her head. Her flowing, Purple mane fell all the way down to her torso, and had a few Gold beads braided into it. A small, Gold-studded necklace hung around the girl's neck, with a small Red Gem emblazoned in the center. A large Purple glyph shaped like a crab was imprinted on each of her hind legs, and a Silver-laced satchel was worn around her neck.

As the Guardian and the strange dragoness walked up to the front of the desk, Nellie eyed the Pink girl.

_She kind of looks familiar_, she thought as she put away her drawing supplies. _But where have I seen her before?_

Voden came to a stop in front of his desk and began to speak.

"Good afternoon, class." He declared happily.

"Good afternoon, Sir Voden." The young dragons responded in unison.

"Today, we have a new student joining our school today." The Orange Guardian stated. "Class, this is Emberella, the heir of the leaders of the Fractured Hills settlements. She has been transfered to our school to complete her educational training. Now class, even though she is of above average familial roots, I kindly ask you to treat her as you would any other average student."

The Guardian pulled a couple of textbooks, one slightly thicker than the other, and handed them to Emberella.

"These are the books you'll be needing for the class." He said happily.

"Thank you, Sir." The dragoness replied shyly.

"You're welcome, dear." Voden pointed towards a few empty seats in the back of the classroom. "Go ahead and pick out a spot, Emberella."

"Okay."

The Memory dragoness nervously walked towards the back of the room, while the Guardian walked around his desk to begin the lesson.

"Alright, class. Take out your copies of "A History of the Dragon Race" and turn to page one hundred and six..."

As most of the students prepared for the lesson, Emberella sat down at an empty desk. By sheer chance, the desk she chose was directly next to Nellie. Both girls were clearly nervous.

"Hello." The Water dragoness said awkwardly.

"Hi." The Pink one replied. She looked over her two textbooks and pouted.

"Uh... excuse me," She whispered, "But do you know which of these books is the right one, uh..."

"My name is Nellie." The Blue dragoness stated, smiling. "And it's the larger one."

"Oh."

Emberella put away her smaller textbook, and opened the other one to the specified page.

"Thank, Nellie."

"You're welcome, Emberella."

"Call me Ember."

The Blue dragoness giggled.

"Okay, Ember."

...

After the History class came to an end, the Lunch period started.

While most of the students took off in different directions, Nellie, Emerald, Ember, Blankridge and Marble all gathered together outside of the classroom. Since Ember didn't know anyone else, she decided to follow after the Blue dragoness, who didn't mind at all.

After Nellie introduced the Pink girl to the others, Marble sheepishly turned towards Emerald.

"Hey, Emerald?" The Green male asked shyly.

"Yes, Marble?" The dragoness queried, smiling. "What is it?"

The male Earth dragon could feel his face flushing with embarrassment as he tried to speak.

"Well... I was wondering... if you're not busy on the Day of the-."

Suddenly, Marble was interrupted when Blankridge grabbed him by the cape.

"Marble and I need to get ready for our Music class." The Orange dragon declared. "Come along, man."

"But, I.. uh..." Marble stuttered. "There's something I wanted to ask Emmy..."

"You can as her later!" Blank snapped. "Come on! We've got to work to do!"

"But..."

Despite the Green boy's protests, the Orange one practically dragged him away.

"Blank, let go of me!"

"By, girls!"

As the two male teenagers vanished down the hall, Emerald chuckled lightly, while Nellie burst into laughter.

Once the girls settled down some, the Earth dragoness began speaking.

"Well, I'm gonna head for the cafeteria for a bite to eat. You two wanna come?"

"Uh, I don't know..." Ember stated. "I don't really know my way around this Palace very well."

"I can show you around, if you want." Nellie suggested.

"That sounds good." The Pink dragoness decided. "Sure, I'll do that."

"Okay then. You don't mind, do you Emmy?"

"Of course not." Emerald replied. "I'll see you two later. Bye."

"By, Emerald."

As the Earth dragoness walked towards a flight of stairs that led towards the floor the cafeteria sat on, The Water dragoness turned back towards the Pink one.

"Okay, follow me."

For the majority of the one hour lunch period, Nellie showed Ember around the Palace's infastructure. The Blue dragoness pointed out how each of the layers was built in a cirle-like pattern, and how there were stairways next to most of the side passageways.

But as Nellie was talking, a small scroll slipped out of the side of her satchel, and fell onto the floor. Ember noticed this, and picked it up.

"Hey, you dropped something." She stated, unrolling the scroll.

"Huh?" When the Water dragoness saw the scroll, she gasped in alarm.

"Wait! Don't look at it!"

Nellie moved to snatch the scroll away hurriedly, but just before she did so, Ember spotted the words at the top.

"Rune and Nellie, together for all time?" Ember repeated, confused.

"Uh... Don't worry about the scroll." The older dragoness said hurriedly, blushing. "It's... uh.. nothing important. Not in the slightest."

"Rune..." The Pink dragoness stated, her expression clearly racked in thought. "You know, I've met a boy name Rune once or twice..."

Nellie was surprised to hear this.

"You have?" She asked, amazed.

"Uh-huh." Ember replied, nodding. "A Black dragon named Rune once saved me from a bunch of monsters about four years ago."

The Blue dragoness's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Did... Did he happen to have a Blue hourglass on both of his shoulders and a set of crossed Infinity Signs on either shoulder?" She queried.

"Of course." The Pink girl stated. "He's the Prince of-"

At once, both girls gasped in shock.

"How do you know Prince Rune?" They both shouted in unison.

There was a long, awkwards pause for a moment.

"Okay..." Nellie eventually stated. "Clearly, we both have some explaining to do..."

...

The two girls spent the next several minutes walking down the hallways, talking about how they both knew the Black dragon. Nellie explained that Rune grew up in Glenhaven for about five years as an adopted member of her family, before he ran away from home or then-unkown reasons. Ember talked about how Rune, in the guise of a Purple dragon, saved her life when her home in the Fractured Hills when it was attacked by Black-hided monsters called Crepsculi.

At one point, Nellie mentioned how she, Blank and Emerald encountered a strange Pink dragoness, while Ember pointed out how _she_ had run into a strange trio of young dragons. It didn't take long for both of them to realize it was each other they met.

"What are the odds..." The Water dragoness declared, smiling. "I never imagined that we'd meet again, let alone become acquainted like this."

"Yeah." Ember agreed. "Small world..."

Eventually, the two girls arrived at a female restroom.

The walls and floors were made with White tiles, while the doors and walls of the restroom stalls were made of a Green-colored metal. A line of marble sinks were line up next to the doorway, and a massive mirror ran along the same wall as the sinks.

Nellie took a moment to use a restroom stall, and then approached the sinks. Around this time, she got to the point where she had told Rune how she felt about him, and how Rune did the same to her.

"Ever since then," The Blue dragoness said, "Rune and I have been boyfriend and girlfriend."

"You've been together for four whole years?" Ember asked.

"Yes. After all we've been through together, I can't imagine life without him."

"Awww..." Ember said, smiling. "That's soooo romantic."

"Thank you."

"Will you two ever get married?"

Nellie blushed at this.

"Uh..."

"By the Ancestors, I hope not!" A familiar, irritating voice shouted out, which immediately filled the Water dragoness with disdain.

"Roxanne..." She said through gritted fangs.

The Lightning dragoness stepped out of one of the metal stalls in the back of the room and approached a line of sinks near the front.

"I wouldn't want you and your darling brother mating." Roxanne declared, feigning sicklyness. "The results would be horrible abominations of dragonkind."

"Shut up, Rox." Nellie sneered. "Rune and I are **NOT** brother and sister."

"Of course not!" The Yellow dragoness exclaimed, grinning. "You're lovers."

A low growl escaped the Blue dragoness's throat, while Ember looked on in confusion.

"Who're you?" She wondered.

"The name's Roxanne." The Yellow girl stated. "If it's too hard to remember, Pinky, you can call me Rox."

"Okay..."

"Leave her alone, Roxanne." Nellie demanded. "She's a new student: You know that."

"New, Old, it doesn't matter." Roxanne scowled. "A rich snob is a rich snob either way."

"I'm not a snob!" Ember protested.

"That's what they all say." The Yellow girl snapped. "The more they deny it, the more it's true. Especially Emerald and Nellie."

"Shut. Up!" Nelle snarled. Roxanne rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She stated. "I have better things to do than waste my time with Trust-fund babies."

And with that, Roxanen turned towards the exit of the restroom. Nellie sighed in contempt, while Ember looked on at the doorway.

"What was that about?" She wondered.

"It's a long story, Ember." Nellie responded. "Roxanne and I used to be friends. Best friends, in fact."

"You were? But then why-"

"Around four years ago, something happened that soured our relationship." Nellie stated. "I dont' want to bring it up. It's complicated."

"If you say so, Nellie."

The Blue dragoness sighed.

"Come on." She eventually stated, walking towards the doorway. "We need to head off for our next classes."

...

Eventually, the school day came to an end.

The many students of the Palace took off for flight to head home. Among them were Blank and his gang, who left to practice their musical ability over at Keith's home on the Southwestern side of Glenhaven. Once again, Marble was dragged away before he was able to talk to Emerald. And once again, Nellie, Emerald and Nellie were left to their own devices.

"So, what should we do now?" The Green dragoness wondered.

"Well, that depends." Nellie answered. "Where were you planning on going, Ember? Is there somewhere you're staying while you're in the city?"

"Well..." The Pink dragoness stuttered nervously. "I'm going to be staying in one of the spare rooms in the Palace while I'm here..."

"Would you like to see the Glenhaven Grand Library?" Emerald suggested.

"Uh, okay." Ember asnwered, nodding. "Sure."

"Okay, let's go." Nellie exclaimed.

The Earth and Water dragonesses led the Memory dragoness through the air as the flew towards the Library.

The Library was as massive and magnificent as it had always been. The interior of the Library was large and spacious, with most of the floors having exposed areas for dragons to fly up to them. There was also a large spiral staircase connecting all of these floors near the back, so that Moles and Cats may traverse them. Each of the Library's floors were covered with a fine red carpet, while the countless bookshelves were constucted of Hardwood.

Just like always, the Librarian Jonas and his Cheetah assistant sat behind the Library's front desk.

Jonas was a chubby, middle-aged dragon with a Topaz hide and a dull Red underbelly. His Green eyes gazed upon the interior of the building withe same no-nonsense attitude he had for years. His broken red horns had become duller, and slightly cracked, while his blue mane was shaved short. And just like always, the dragon's militaristic personality ensured that the Library was ten times as orderly as the Palace could ever hope to be.

As the girls entered the library, the Topaz dragon eyed them suspiceously. Ember hid behind the other two girls out of fear.

"Uh, hello, sir." Nellie said shyly.

Jonas snorted.

"You two again." He stated apathetically. "And I see you've brought a friend along, too."

"Uh, yes..." Emerald stated. "Her name is Emberella. She's a transfer student from-"

"I don't care where she's from." Jonas interrupted. "As long as she doesn't cause a ruckus in my Library, She's perfectly welcome. But I don't want her breaking ANY of the Library's rules and regulations, which can be easilly found on the front wall of each of the Library's floors."

The fat dragon eyed the Pink dragoness, who flinched.

"Do I make myself clear, young lady?"

"Y... Yes, sir." Ember mumbled.

"Good." Jonas stated. He sighed, and then spoke again, his voice sounding halfhearted.

"Any child may obtain a children's Library card if they provide five copper coins as payment and the express permission provided by a parent and/or Guardian. Regulations on the process of checking out books, tomes, and other such items can be found at all active helpdesks."

"Uh... okay. Thank you, sir."

The three dragons turned to fly up to another section of the library, while Jonas continued enjoying his quiet solitude.

For the next couple of hours, Emerald showed Ember around the Library, while Nellie went off to explore on her own. During this time, she stopped by a small table on the far side of the Fourth Floor Nonfiction section.

This was the "usual spot": The spot where Rune and Nellie would hang out around in the most during their visits to the Library.

Nellie could recall countless times where the two young dragons would just sit here, sometimes talking about certain topics, but mostly just sitting quietly and reading. Of all these times, the Blue dragoness held one above all others.

...

It was about a year ago.

Rune and Nellie were sitting at the wooden table, as always. The Black dragon was reading from a large, thick tome emblazoned with a Purple dragon on the front cover. It was entitled "The Chronicles of Lord Spyro". The dragoness was sitting just across from Rune, a bored expression on her face as she listened to the male.

"Say Nellie," He began, "Did you know that, when Lord Spyro was only a young dragon, he and his best friend, a Yellow dragonfly name Sparx, once saved a tribe of Llamas called the Atlawa from being enslaved by the Dark Master's Ape forces and defeated a massive Stone Sentinel?"

"No." Nellie replied apathetically. "I can honestly say I didn't know that."

"And that's not all." Rune continued, not picking up on the dragoness's tone. "After freeing the Ice Guardian Cyril from imprisonment, the Atlawa wanted to worship Spyro and Sparx as gods. The dragonfly wanted to go along with it, but Spyro refused."

"You don't say." Nellie mumbled, completely uncaring.

Rune spent a moment to look over the many pages of the tome, a smile of amazement on his face.

"This book is incredible." He declared. "I had no idea Lord Spyro did so much. This book goes on for over seven hundred pages."

The Blue dragoness, however, was not amused.

"You are such a nerd." She stated blankly.

"Huh?" Rune asked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Nellie got up from the table and started walking around it.

"Can't we do something else for once, Rune?" She complained. "We come to this same spot almost every single day."

"Well, I like it." The Black dragon replied. "It's quiet. And not many people show up here to bother us."

"But it's so boring." Nellie stated, frowning. "I feel like we're going to grow old and die here."

Rune frowned for a moment upon hearing this, but then got an idea. He sat the book down and grinned slightly.

"Well, I don't know about growing old and dying here," He said, getting up from the table. "But I've got an idea for something that's a change of pace."

"What is it, Rune?" Nellie wondered.

The Black dragon faced the dragoness, leaned in close, and lightly pecked the tip of her muzzle with his lips.

"What was **that**?" Nellie asked skeptically.

"Our first kiss." Rune declared, grinning.

"You call THAT a first kiss?" The dragoness demanded incredulously.

The Black dragon felt sheepish upon seeing Nellie's expression.

"Well..."

The Water dragoness smiled, and then placed a forepaw on either side of Rune's face.

"It's more like this, you big dummy." She stated.

Nellie brought her muzzle up to Rune's, and shut her eyes. The Black dragon did the same thing, and the two dragons held this position for a short while.

The two young dragons soon pulled away and looked at each other. Rune was blushing, but he was smiling through it.

"Now _that_ was our first kiss." Nellie declared happily.

"Yeah..." Rune agreed. "I hope it's not our only one."

"Of course not, dummy." Nellie chuckled. "It's only the first."

...

The Blue dragoness sighed happily. She then turned and flew back down to the ground floor of the Library.

Emerald had just checked out a few books, and Ember was helping the Green dragoness carry them. Nellie came to a landing nearby and approached the two girls.

"You ready to leave?" She asked.

"Uh-huh." Emerald replied. "I checked out a few Romance novels for Ember, since she doesn't have her own card yet."

"Thanks again for that, Emmy!" Ember exclaimed happily.

Upon hearing this, Jonas cleared his throat loudly, making the Pink dragoness jump.

"Please keep quiet in the library at all times." The overweight dragon sneered.

"Sorry..." Ember muttered.

Emerald and Nellie chuckled lowly at this.

"Don't get overworked, Ember." The Green dragoness reassured. "Everyone makes that mistake every once in a while."

"Not as often as Blank, though." Nellie commented.

The two older girls chuckled again, while Ember looked on confused.

"In any case," Emerald eventually stated calmly, "We need to get going. Come on, girls."

"Okay." The other two said in unison.

As the the three dragonesses left the library, Nellie turned and glanced up at the fourth floor. She sighed in satisfaction.

_Maybe growing old and dying up there wouldn't be so bad,_ she thought. _As long as I'm with him..._

And with that, she turned and left the library.

While _this_ dragoness's mind was filled with thoughts of Love, another dragoness's mind was filled with thoughts of Hate.

...

**Greetings friends and loved ones.**

**I'd like to thank Ozymandiaz for giving me the okay to use his character Marble in the story. He's going to be adding a new layer to the story, and be closly associated with Emerald going forwards, though I won't spoil the details. In other news, pay attention to Ozy's story "A Legend in Marble": You'll want to look for a dragoness named "Jade".**

**In other news, I think I forgot to thank GoldenGriffiness for letting me use her character Myst in my story as well, though with her name changed to Riven, which is actually a pun/reference. If anyone can guess what that Pun/Reference is, I shall subscibe to them immediately. :P**

**And with nothing left to say, I bid you adieu.**

**Tenebra ecce veritas.**


	26. Act 1, Chapter 6 FM

Act 1, Chapter 6

The dead of night had come once again in Faeshrine.

Saul, Olivia and Angela had left Bergan's office, and were walking through the buildng to find Johnathan after he left to prepare his friends for the trip. After eventually finding him, the four dragons proceeded to head for their guest quarters, which had been prepared for them by Bergan's staff.

Along the way, Saul informed the two dragonesses on what Johnathan had been assigned to do. At first, Olivia had her reservations.

"Do you think it's wise to send him along, Saul?" She asked.

"Yes." The Commander answered stoicly.

"But isn't it highly dangerous?" Angela queried. Saul sighed.

"Olivia, Angela, think for a moment." The adult male declared. "Elenar's husband has wronged us, and yet no punishment has fallen upon him, the Queen, or their family for what's happened. And since Bergan's daughter Tyrrany is planning to get revenge all on her own, it's only fitting that we lend Johnathan to the cause. Do you see where I'm coming from?"

"I suppose I do, Saul..." Olivia replied. The Commander's wife let out a low yawn from her muzzle. "It's getting awefully late." Olivia stated. "I think I'll turn in for the night."

"I shall as well." Angela added, rubbing her left eye.

"You two may do as you wish." Saul replied. "However, Johnathan and I shall stay awake for a bit longer."

"How come, Pops?" The young Earth dragon asked.

The Commander gave his son a stern look, which made the younger drake flinch.

"There is a certain matter that I need to discuss with you." Saul said adamantly.

"What is it, Saul?" His wife queried.

"It's something I need to discuss with him **alone**."

Olivia and Angela only looked at the Commander, saying nothing else for a short time. Johnathan, however, shook with increasing anxiety.

_I just KNOW he's planning to bitch at me for what I tried to do the other night. They all know, and are just waiting to jump at me for it._

"If you say so, Saul." Olivia declared.

The Commander's wife turned to walk down the hallway, stopping only to glance momentarilly at her son.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Johnathan."

"Uh, okay, Mom." The young Earth dragon replied.

As Olivia walked down the hall, Angela walked in the same direction, stopping to kiss her nephew on the forehead.

"Hey!" He protested.

"Sleep well, Johnny." The dragoness said warmly.

"Uh, right..."

Angela turned and continued walking down the hallway after her sister. After a few moments, they were gone, leaving Saul and Johnathan alone in the hallway.

The Commander turned toward his son with a cold expression.

"Johnathan, follow me." He demanded. "There is something I wish to talk to you about."

The younger dragon felt a lump forming in his throat.

"Uh... what about, Po... father?" He asked.

Saul proceeded to walk down the hallway in the opposite direction the two dragonesses took. At first, Johnathan was too worried to follow afterwards. The Commander noticed this, and let a low growl escape his throat.

"Come, Johnathan." He said irritably. The younger dragon flinched at his father's voice.

"Uh, yes, father."

Johnathan followed after his father, staying a short distance behind out of worry.

As the two Earth dragons walked through the hallways of the building, Saul made a beeline towards the most barren parts of the HQ. The further they walked, less and less FTC soldiers were standing guard. Saul grinned with satisfaction, knowing that no soul would overhear the things he would say.

When he decided that they were far enough out of earshot, the Commander turned to face his son.

"Johnathan, there is an important matter I must bring up." He stated with all seriousness. "It is a matter concerning your _friends._"

"You mean the Crazy Aces?" Johnathan asked, becoming worried. "If any of them stole of broke anything, I swear I didn't know about it!"

Saul shook his head.

"That's not it." He responded. "It's not what they've done, so much as what I want them to do."

"What?" The younger dragon asked, taken aback. "But I thought-"

"Allow me to explain, Johnathan." The Commander interjected.

The adult Earth dragon took a deep breath.

"Son, do you remember that night in Warfang four years ago?" He asked. "The night when we learned that King Bane murdered your grandfather Richteriel?"

In almost an instant, Johnathan's anxiety was completely replaced with rage. He snarled as the memory of Bane striking him in the back of the neck returned to the surface of his mind.

"Yeah." He declared with animosity. "If that bastard weren't already gone, I'd kill him myself for what he did!"

"Unfortunately, he **is** already gone." Saul stated. "However, his sons aren't."

"I know that, Pops." Johnathan replied. "But what does that have to do with the Crazy Aces?"

"Johnathan, when were were on the ship heading north, I told you I don't want you or your gang committing crimes against Aeroshard." The Commander raised an eye. "Do you recall this?"

"Uh... of course." The younger dragon answered, becoming nervous again. "I know you were serious about it."

"**Dead** serious." Saul said sternly. "However, that doesn't mean you and your _friends_ can't commit crimes against _other cities._"

Johnathan raised an eye of his own.

"What do you mean, Father?" He queried.

"I have a task for you and your _friends_, Johnathan." Saul declared. "You and your lot are to travel along with Tyrrany and her group. While you are aiding her in her personal quest, you are to search for the two Princes of Warfang: the Black dragons Cyrus and Rune."

The younger Earth dragon sneered at their names.

"What then?" He asked.

"You are to kill Cyrus." Saul declared.

Johnathan was taken aback.

"What?" He exclaimed, shocked and alarmed. "You want me and the Crazy Aces to murder Prince Cyrus?"

Saul smacked his son across the back of his head.

"Hush, you fool." He whispered angrilly.

"Sorry, father." The younger dragon muttered, rubbing his head.

"But yes. You and your _friends_ are to take Cyrus's life. And you shall kidnap his brother Rune as well."

This added statement made Johnathan's eyes grow wide.

"But... my boys and girls have **never** done anything like **that** before." He protested. "Sure, we've beaten the crap out of people here and there, occasionally stab a few, but we've never **kidnapped** anybody, and we sure as fuck haven't knocked people off."

Saul grimaced at this.

"Do you not wish to get revenge on the beings who've broken up our family?" He demanded. "The Black dragons have brought nothing but trouble for our bloodline. Both of your grandfathers lost their lives at the hands of a Black dragon: My father Gaius lost his life by Urobos' forepaws, and your Mother's father Richteriel has lost his life thanks to Bane. We deserve retribution, but we are denied this by the other Light dragons, especially our traitorous relative Telus of Glenhaven. It may one day come to a point where either Prince Rune or Prince Cyrus end **my** life, and then **yours**, and no punishment will ever be placed on them. Does this not bother you?"

Johnathan thought for a moment.

On the one paw, he was partially afraid of the Black dragons. Throughout history, they were known to be some of the most powerful dragons ever seen, thanks to their mastery of all twelve of the Elements of draconian magic. Killing even a teenaged one would be no easy task. On the other paw, what his father said was right: Both of his grandfathers were dead because of Urobos and Bane: Rune and Cyrus could no doubt be allowed to do the same thing to Saul and Johnathan someday. This was something that had to be nipped in the bud.

The young Earth dragon sighed.

"I'll do as you ask, Pops." He stated. "Though I gotta ask: Why aren't you asking me to kill Urobos, Cyrus and Rune all at once? It seems odd that you'd want two of them to live, since you hate them so much."

"Urobos will die of old age any day now, so he's not worth it." Saul declared, snorting. "As for Rune: I wish to put an end to his miserable life myself."

"Why?"

"It's because of that little pest that I was denied my right of vendetta four years ago. Most of the other Leaders of the territories had taken a liking to him, even Telus, of all people. Were it not for Rune, Warfang would belong to **Us** this very moment. So, as retribution for ruining my plans, I want you to take him captive and bring him to me. Is that understood, Johnathan?"

"Whatever you say, father." The younger Earth dragon responded seriously. "Tomorrow morning, I'll tell the Crazy Aces all about the plan."

"Good. But that is not all I must tell you." Saul said coldly. "You are not, under any circumstances, to tell anyone besides your _friends_ what you are up to, nor are you to be affiliated with me or Aeroshard in any way. If word got out that I was planning regicide, my entire life, and yours and your mother's as well, would be brought down to ruins."

The Commander brought his head down to glare into his son's eyes.

"Is that completely clear, Johnathan?"

"Uh... Clear as Crystal, father." Johnathan replied, shaking nervously once again.

"Good."

Saul righted himself, and turned to walk down the hallway the way he came. "Now, we should retire to bed. Come."

"Yes, father."

Johnathan proceeded to follow his father down the hallway towards their bedchambers.

As they left, they were completely unaware of a large Fire dragon, who was standing on the opposite side of the wall. It was Vice President Flamaedelus-Anthony, and he had been listening in on their conversation the enitre time.

The Vice President sneered.

"So, that **is** what he's planning." He whispered in an adamant tone. "Bergan was correct, as usual. It certainly wouldn't do if that boy succeeds before everything is ready. I'd better consult with Bergan straightaway."

And with that, the Fire dragon turned to walk across the adjacent chamber he was standing in and walked out into the next hallway, preparing to head for the Purple dragon's office.

...

The the storm continued to rage over the Tarune Forest, it had terrible effects on the White dragoness.

As the hours passed, Tyrrany slept upon her mattress, tossing and turning to and fro beneath her covers. Her dreams were plagued with horrible memories; memories of the lowest point in her entire life. The feint pitter-patter of rain outside her window only served to further solidify the painful times she once faced, as did the wind blowing against the foilage just outside her window in the gardens and trees below.

Tyrrany mumbled to herself sadly, and tears fell from her eyes.

"Help me... Somebody. Anybody..."

In the dragoness's nightmare, she was deep in the northern parts of the Tarune Forest.

...

It was in the middle of the night, during a terrible thunderstorm. A powerful force of wind blew across the forest canopy, forcing many of the trees' branches to bend towards the south; some of them were even broken free and sent flying onwards.

The White dragoness was a young hatchling: barely a few days old. Her limbs were short and chubby, and her talons were somewhat blunt-edged. She had very little hair on her head, and her four horns were only stubs.

Millions of ice cold water pelted the hatchling's scales on all sides, the freezing temperatures of the water causing her to shiver. The storm's winds blistered part of the dragoness's underbelly, and the lips on her muzzle were badly chapped. All four of her chubby limbs were drenched in black mud, as were most of her scales. The Red glyphs on her body were dulled by the stains of mud and rainwater.

The hatchling could barely see where she was going as she slowly made her way across the forest. Fear and sorrow engulfed her entire being as she tried to find shelter, and her belly was filled with pain from her increasing hunger.

The little dragoness didn't know how she ended up here, wherever "here" was. She didn't know anything at all: not even her own name. All she could recall was breaking out of her egg, and finding herself in the middle of a puddle of slimy mud. Since then, she had been trying to find a place to hide from the freezing water, and also something to eat. Unfortunately, she had found little success in either department.

As the hatchling continued crawling through the thick mud, she wailed miserably, and the constant swath of rainwater upon her face hid her tears from view. Even though she could not speak, her mind was developed enough to form thoughts.

_Help..._

The hatchling couldn't stand this horrible way of living. She wanted to get out of this terrible place, and she was desperate for food. And yet, she was completely helpless, and all alone.

_Help me... Somebody..._

The dragoness continued on her way until she came upon a hollowed-out log. The hatchling filled with relief as scampered around to the side to climb in.

_Shelter... Finally..._

The dragoness proceeded to climb into the log's opening and crawled deep inside it. She then came to a stop, started shifting around to get comfortable, and proceeded to lie down to get some sleep. For a few moments, she felt relaxation come over her.

_Now I can get some sleep..._

But soon, a low shrieking noise began filling the log, and was coming from just behind the hatchling. The little dragoness immediately woke up shook in fear.

_What is that?..._

The hatchling proceeded to turn around to find out what the noise was, and jumped in fright. Just behind her at least six pair of horrible, Fiery Red eyes, all of which were upside-down. With a yelp, the dragoness turned and ran out of the log as fast as she could. As she did this, all of the Red eyes chased after her, and once they were out of the log, they took the form of strange, furry, winged creatures, which all took to the skies and shrieked loudly.

The creatures weren't chasing the hatchling, but she ran as fast as she could all the same, too afraid to turn back. As she ran through the mud and the weather, she cried miserably allover again.

_Why am I alone? Why am I stuck here?_

The hatchling wailed once again.

_Why?_

The little White dragoness continued fleeing through the canopy, competely overcome by her sorrow.

...

When the morning came, Tyrrany woke from her slumber in tears.

After a quick yawn, the dragoness noticed that she was lying on her mattress in her chamber in the FTCHQ. She calmed herself down, and then wiped her face of the tears.

"Just a nightmare." She decided, relife filling her spirit. "I'm home."

Tyrrany got out of her bed and walked over to the large portrait by her window.

Her eyes glanced upon the youthful face of her father in his teenaged years. She sighed calmly, and a small smile formed on her face.

"You've done so much for me, father..." She stated solemnly. "And yet you've suffered, just as much as I have."

Tyrrany turned her gaze to look at the teenaged face of her mother Elenar. A small gash in the paper was prominent between her eyes; the remains of an old kife stab the White dragoness made out of anger. Tyrrany snarled at her mother's form.

After years of training her physical and magical abilities, the young dragoness would soon be able to hunt down the dragoness she believed to be the source of all her pain.

"We've suffered because of **you**." She spat with venom in her voice. "You broke my father's spirit, and left me for dead. Well, you better beware, mother, if you even deserved to be called that..."

Tyrrany reached out with a forepaw and slashed her talons through Elenar's visage with great vehemence, slicing several large gashes in the portrait.

"...I'm coming for you. And when I find you, you'll be sorry for everything you've done to us."

After violating the portrait, Tyrrany turned around and approached her dresser.

The dragoness spent the next half an hour preparing for the trip to Warfang. She put on a fresh disguise, and then packed an extra set of clothes into her satchel, along with a fresh container of Purple makeup. She then packed up a few daggers, a map, a compass, and various other items she deemed necessary.

Tyrrany knew that getting to her mother Elenar would be no easy task. For starters, Elenar was the Queen of Warfang: That meant that she no doubt had an enitre army of dragon and Nondragon soldiers at her beck and call. And then, there was the group of warriors known as the Deep Shadows, around half a dozen Dark dragons with beyond-average physical and magical capabilities: a force all their own to be reckoned with. And lastly, there was Elenar herself, as well as the Black dragon Urobos. The Dark Grey Queen was a master of the Pain element, with magical abilities that made the average Pain dragon seem like an mere hatchling. And then there was Urobos: Even in his old age, he still had incredible skill over all twelve Draconian elements, no doubt surpassing Tyrrany's skill in all of them.

If the White dragoness was to have her vengeance, she would need a plan.

"Perhaps Father will help me in this regard." She decided. "I'm seeking vengeance for him as well as myself, after all."

Tyrrany gathered all of her stuff together, and then hung her satchel around herself. Before she turned to leave her chamber, she glanced back behind herself and looked upon the suitcase that contained her violin. She thought for a moment, bringing a talon to her muzzle.

"Would it be a good idea to bring it along?" She wondered out loud. "It may only serve as a burder, and yet it wouldn't hurt to have something to keep myself entertained during the long trip to the city of Commerce..."

After passing the idea around in her head for a brief while, the dragoness finally decided.

"I'll bring it with me. And if Father believes I should leave it behind, then I'll do as he asks. The least he would do is say no."

Tyrrany turned around, picked up her suitcase in her mouth. She then returned to the doorway, turned the knob, and walked down the hallway, shutting the door behind herself with her tail.

As she made her way to the front of the building, she began to think again on her nightmare. She fought back a few tears, and continued on her way.

_It felt so real... as if I was alone allover again..._

...

During that same timeframe Flame was sound asleep in his bedchamber in his parents' mansion.

The Mansion was built upon one of the many floating platforms on the higher level of the city of Faeshrine. The building stood five stories high, and was made of a combination of Marble and Red Stone. It sat on the center of a platform that was a large as half a cityblock, and was surrounded by a large, vibrant garden. A metal fence of black spikes. ran about the platform's perimeter, and stood about seven feet in the air.

Flame's bedchamber was fairly large, despite being relatively spacious. A circular mattress sat in the center of the room, and was covered with various smaller cushions around the outer edge and a blue cloth blanket. A dresser made of Light Brown wood sat upon the eastern edge of the room, filled with a few sets of fine clothing. On the opposite side of the room was a large family portrait, consisting of Flame and his parents. A massive, glass window ran across a considerable portion of the far wall, letting in the sunlight as it approached from the East.

As the young dragon snored peacefully, a knocking came at his front door.

"Excuze me, zir." A female Mole servant called from the other side.

Flame mumbled a bit in his sleep, but stayed asleep.

The servant knocked on his door once again.

"Zir?"

When no responce came, the Mole was about to knock a third time. However, she was cut off by an adult Fire dragoness.

"I'll wake him up." She commanded. "You go attend to your other duties."

"Az you wizh, Lady Melizza." The Mole replied, bowing.

Melissa was Flame's mother, and Flamaedelus's first wife. Most of her scales were a Vibrant Red hue, while the scales around the lower sections of all her legs were patterened like bursts of Red-and-Orange flames, as was her underbelly. An elegant Black cape was worn over her torso, which fell down to her legjoints. Her Ruby Red mane was trimmed down to the midway point between her jaw and the base of her neck. She had two Bright Red eyes, and two thin, Orange, Diagonal horns just behind them. Various pieces of Silver and Gold jewelry were worn on a few of her foretalons and on both of her horns. A set of Spectacles sat upon her short, yet not beaklike, muzzle.

As the Mole servant turned to leave, Melissa opened the door and approached the sleeping Flame. She pulled away her son's covers, and shook him awake.

"Wake up, Flamaedelus." She demanded.

The young Fire dragon grunted irritably as he was rudely awakened.

"HEY!" He exclaimed, getting groggily onto his feet. "What's the big-?"

Flame soon found himself looking his mother in the eyes, and Melissa cleared her throat. Immediatly, the younger Fire dragon and chuckled nervously.

"Uh... Hi, Mom." He said sheepishly.

"Get ready for the day, Flamaedelus." Melissa commanded. "President Bergan will be expecting you around noon."

"Alright."

Flame got up out of bed, and approached his dresser, shaking his head to remove the tiredness from his mind.

Despite his father's insistence that Flame not get a coin of his family's wealth until he reached an appropriate age, the young Fire dragon wasn't forced to go without **all** the luxuries of nobility. He was allowed to have and wear fine clothing, was attended to by his parents' butlers and servants while in their home, and even received the same fine tutoring that most noble children were granted. But despite this, it was made clear that these luxuries would taken away from him if he proved to be overly dependant on them.

The young dragon grabbed a fresh brown cloak and a scrunchie from a dresser drawer, and his Brown goggles from the top of it. As he dressed himself, his mother spoke again.

"I have been informed that Bergan is assigning you to be his daughter's guardian during your trip to Warfang." She stated coldly.

"Uh, yeah." Flame responded, pulling his cloak over his torso. "I'm supposed to keep her from getting hurt."

Melissa snorted.

"Seems like a waste, if you ask me." She said. "That girl has proven to be perfectly capable of defending herself."

"I suppose so, Mom. But if the President tells me to do something, I do it."

The dragoness nodded, while Flame placed his goggles over his neck.

"Fair enough." Melissa responded. "Though sometimes I worry about you, Flamaedelus."

"How come, Mom?" The younger dragon had just pulled his hair through his scrunchie.

"You may be getting too attached to the President's daughter."

"Too attached?" Flame grabbed a burlap sack off the floor nearby and slung it over his neck. "What do you mean?"

"Flamaedelus," Melissa stated, "You and Lady Tyrrany have been friends for a very long time."

"Yeah, I know that." Flame replied, turning to walk towards his mother. "What's your point?"

"It would be ill-advised if you try to become more with her, for a variety of reasons."

The younger dragon cocked an unamused eye.

"What would be your number one reason?" He questioned. "Because Tyrrany's a White dragoness."

"Of course not." The dragoness scolded. "It's because Lady Tyrrany is already betrothed to Prince Johnathan."

"Oh." Flame said, rolling his eyes. "To be honest, Mom, I don't really think it's going to happen."

"And why is that?" Melissa demanded angrilly.

"Well, isn't it obvious? Tyrrany doesn't really care for Johnathan much. If at all."

The dragoness sighed in irritation.

"Flamaedelus, even if that is true, she's STILL going to marry the heir to Aeroshard."

"Why?" Flame exclaimed defensively. "If she doesn't want him, doesn't she have a right to say no?"

Melissa growled at her son, which made him flinch.

"Do NOT raise your voice to me young man!" His mother snarled.

"Sorry, Mom." The young dragon replied softly, bowing his head.

The dragoness sighed, shaking her head.

"But to answer your question, in a few ways, Tyrrany does **not** have much say on the matter." She said calmly. "The union of Aeroshard and Faeshrine is all-important for the future, and the marriage between the two cities' heirs is the ideal way for said union to unfold. Lady Tyrrany knows and accepts this, as do most of us. You should do the same, Flamaedelus."

The young Fire dragon groaned.

"Can't we just drop this, Mom?" He asked. "I need to get ready to leave for the caravan."

"I suppose you're right." Melissa moved to approach the doorway. "I have things to do as well: I need to leave alongside your father for a business trip."

"Business trip?" Flame repeated, following after his mother. "Where to?"

The dragoness didn't answer for a while: She only looked on blankfaced.

"Mom?"

"It doesn't concern you, Flamaedelus." She said sternly. "Come: We must be on our way."

"Uh, okay Mom."

As the two dragons walked down the hallway, Flame thought to himself.

_I guess I'll ask the President when I see him next._

...

"Destine, dear," Bergan scolded lightly, "Please let go of your brother's mane."

Bergan was in his office, sitting on his haunches upon the floor behind his desk, his tail wrapped around his legs. He was joined in the room by all four of his nursemaids, as well as his four cub-aged children. The Purple dragon decided that, since he and Tyrrany were going to leave the city for some time, he would spend a part of the morning with his younger children. The little dragons' mothers were all too happy about this.

Maria had climbed up onto her father's back, and was hugging the Purple drake's thick neck as best she could. Leon sat before Bergan, playing with his father's tail like it were a toy. Firion and Destine were sitting in front of the Purple dragon as well: the Pink-hided girl was grabbing her half-brother's mane and pulling it tightly, causing him to yelp in annoyance.

When Destine heard her father tell her to let go, she did so immediately, her eyes full of dread the whole while. Firion then rubbed his head, grimacing.

"You'we a meanie-face, Desty!" The Golden-hided cub sneered.

"No no no, Firion." Bergan stated, waving a talon in the air. "That's no way to speak to your sister."

"But she puwwed my haiw, Daddy." Firion protested.

"I know, but you shouldn't talk to her with such foul words." The Purple dragon turned to look into the Pink-hided cub's eyes. "And Destine, you know it's not nice to yank on your siblings' manes like that, right?"

"Yes, Daddy." Destine said quietly.

"Are you you going to tell Firion you're sorry?" Bergan asked, an eye raised.

"Okay..." The Pink cub turned to look into her brother's eyes. "I'm sowwy, Fiwy."

"That's my girl." The Purple dragon looked over at his Red-hided son. "Now, what do **you** say, Firion?"

"Uh... It's okay, Desty." Firion mumbled.

"There." Bergan declared, smiling. "Everything's all better now."

The Purple dragon reached out and ruffled both cubs' manes with a forepaw, which made them giggle. As Firion and Destine laughed, Bergan turned his attention towards Leon, who still wrestled with his father's tail.

"Having fun, Leon?" Bergan asked, grinning.

"Tons!" The Water cub exclaimed.

"I'm glad for that, kiddo, but Daddy's going to be needed his tail back soon." The Purple dragon then looked behind himself at Maria. "And you'll have to climb back down soon, sweetie."

"Why?" The Blue and Red cubs asked sadly.

"Well, I'll have to be getting up to leave soon." Bergan explained. "Your Daddy's got a lot of important work to do."

"Can't we go with you, Daddy?" Firion asked pleadingly.

"Yeah." Leon agreed. "You nevew let any of us go with you, Daddy."

"I'm sorry, little ones." Bergan lamented. "But I can't take any of you with me."

"Awww." All four cubs said sadly.

"But why?" Maria asked, tearing up a little.

"Daddy's work can get very dangerous sometimes." Bergan answered. "I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt."

"What about Tywwany?" Destine questioned, pouting a little. "How come you awways take **her** pwaces?"

Bergan sighed.

"Tyrrany is a little... _different_, Destine." The Purple dragon stated. "Plus, she's a lot older than you. You wouldn't completely understand."

As luck would have it, right as Bergan was saying this, Tyrrany opened his office and peered inside.

"Good morning, Father." The dragoness said coldly. "I"m ready to leave."

"Ah, speak of the Devil." Beragn declared. "Come on in, dear."

Tyrrany pushed the door all the way open and walked across the office. Upon seeing her, the four nursemaids bowed their heads.

"Good morning, Milady." They said together.

"Hi." The teenager dragoness replied halfheartedly.

As she approached, Bergan carefully lifted Maria off his back and sat her gently on the floor beside her siblings.

"Why don't you all greet your older sister?" Bergan suggested to the four cubs, smiling.

"Okay, Daddy." They all said in unison.

Tyrrany came to a stop before her father's desk. Her brothers and sisters walked around the desk, and stood before the older dragon, some of their tails wagging.

"Hewwo, Sissy." Maria greeted happily, hugging Tyrrany's clothed foreleg.

"Hi, Tywwany!" Leon and Firion declared, doing the same with their older sister's opposite foreleg.

"...Hi..." Destine said awkwardly, keeping a short distance away.

Tyrrany rolled her eyes at all this.

She knew her four younger siblings didn't despise her like the older children did. In fact, most of them seemed to adore her, though Destine thought she was a bit scary. Despite this, Tyrrany didn't reciprocate their affection.

The dragoness's four half-brothers and half-sisters had all gotten things Tyrrany was denied. They all grew up under the care of their mother, and were loved dearly. Furthermore, they were all normal Light dragons: They never needed to hide their scale colors out of fear of being hunted like monsters. All these luxuries served to drive Tyrrany crazy with envy: Just the sight of their smiling faces was enough to make her shake with frustration. But the dragoness knew better than to show the cubs that she disliked them, **especially** not in front of her father Bergan, who loved all his children equally.

Tyrrany ignored the cubs and looked up at the Purple dragon.

"When will we be leaving, Father?" She queried.

"You're certainly eager to get going." Bergan chuckled. "That's not like you in the slightest.

"Well, I finally have a reason to be excited." The teenaged dragoness declared. "I want to get going as soon as possible!"

"Calm down, my dear." Her father stated, getting up onto his feet. "I was just about to prepare to leave before you walked in the door."

"Oh." Tyrrany replied sheepishly. "I guess I'll head outside, then."

The disguised dragoness turned around to leave, but the cubs held tightly onto her legs.

"Wait, Sissy!" Maria pleaded.

"Let go of me." Tyrrany said coldly. "I need to get going."

"But we wanna pway with you fiwst!" Leon protested.

"I don't have time to 'play'." The teenaged dragoness spat.

"Pwease, Tywwany?" Firion asked, eyes pleading.

"No."

Maria sniffed slightly

"You nevew wanna pway with us." She said sadly.

"Too bad, so sad." Tyrrany said sarcastically.

"Oh, come now." Bergan said sternly. "You don't have to be so foul-spirirted about this, Tyrrany." The Purple dragon walked around the desk to approach his cubs. "I'm sorry, little ones, but we really do need to be on our way."

Firion, Leon and Maria all let go of their sister, moaning sadly the whole time. Bergan sighed at this.

"I'll tell you what: When Tyrrany and I return from our trip, she'll play with all of you all day the next day."

The teenaged dragoness's eye lit up in alarm.

"What?" She asked, taken aback.

"Pweeeeeeeeeeeeease, Tywwany?" The cubs begged, eyes wide.

The dragoness sighed in contempt.

"Fine." She spat.

"Hurray!" The cubs cheered. They tried to hug their sister's legs again, but she pushed them back.

"Enough with the hugging." She demanded coldly. "I need to get going."

Without another word, Tyrrany turned around and walked out of the office. Bergan spent this time looking around at his three nursemaids.

"I trust you'll all take good care of my children." He stated.

"Of course, Sir." The adult dragonesses said in unison, bowing.

"Good." The Purple dragon smiled down at his cubs. "I have to go now, little ones. But remember: I'll back as soon as possible. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." All four cubs replied.

Bergan turned to approach the office doorway. Just as he was walking out, he turned to glance at them one last time.

"Goodbye, my little ones." He said sadly. "I'll miss you all."

"Goodbye, Daddy." The cubs responded sadly.

Bergan turned back around, and left his office.

...

The sun was directly over the Tarune Forest: Noon had finally come.

Many Dragons and Nondragons were hard at work in two spots of the city of Faeshrine. Just before the FTCHQ, a massive caravan of Wood-and-Metal carriages and wagons were lined up in formation. A mass crowd of FTC employees were busilly preparing the caravan with a plethora of different supplies: Some carriages were prepared to carry merchant goods, while other carraiges were filled with items ranging from household appliances, tools, clothing, and the like. The remaining carriages, and a few of the wagons, were primarilly used for transportation: various Mole, Cat and Dragon employees climbed up into the vehicles and waited to get going for Warfang.

As this happened, a group of eight teenaged dragons dressed in various rags and bandanas were led by a group of employees towards the carriage at the very back of the caravan. This group was the Crazy Aces; They were told by Johnathan to head for one of the carriages to join the caravan, and also not to steal a thing while waiting.

On another side of the city, all along the docks, over a dozen seafaring vessels were prepared to set sail. Three of these ships were the ones that belonged to Saul and Aeroshard, while most of the others belonged to the FTC. The Commander's ships were prepared to head back south to Aeroshard. Half of the FTC ships were prepared to head West to the Central Islands, while the other half was going to head south as well. However, _their_ destination was kept secret from most of the citizens.

Just before the caravan of wagons, on the FTCHQ's front stoop, stood a large gathering, which consisted of Bergan, Tyrrany, Flame, Arthur, Anthony, Melissa, Saul's family, and various other high-ranking officials.

Among the senior partners of the group were Arthur's parents: His father Richard, a Green dragonfly, and his mother Megara, a yellow dragonfly. These two were in charge of the FTC's Dragonflymail and beaurocratic divisions, and as such aided Bergan with all of his paperwork.

At the moment, Richard and Megara were helping Bergan pass out various scrolls with the FTC seal among the various senior partners.

"While I am gone," The President spoke, "Each of you are to follow the instructions on these scrolls. You are to follow the directions I've laid out to each of you **by the letter.** There are to be absolutely NO exceptions to this. Do you all understand this?"

"Yes, sir." The others said in unison.

"Good." The Purple dragon grinned.

"My wife and sister-in-law will be heading back to Aeroshard." Saul declared. "We'll need to rally our workforces to send supplies to the Isle of Brizl'dur to beging construction on the new city. Johnathan shall be joining the caravan to aid Tyrrany's cause."

"Understood." Bergan replied. "Now then: Anthony, Melissa, Richard, Megara..."

"Yes, Mr. President?" The four asked in unison.

"Say your farewells to your repective sons, and then be on your way." The Purple dragon commanded. "You will not be seeing them for quite some time after today."

Bergan turned around to approach the caravan, and then turned to glance at his daughter.

"Come along, Tyrrany."

"Yes, father." The dragoness replied, moving forwards.

For the next few moments, most of the senior partners of the FTC and Saul's minions left the front stoop to head for the boat docking bay. The Vice President and his wife spoke to their son Flame, while Richard and Melissa did the same with Arthur.

"I trust you'll do your best to look after Tyrrany." Anthony stated.

"Of course, Dad." Flame replied, smiling. "I'll guard her with my life."

"Try to stay safe during the trip, son." Richard stated to the younger Green dragonfly.

"I'll do what I can, Pops." Arthur declared, grinning.

"Don't get cocky, Arthur." Megara scolded. "Being cocky is what got your uncle Benedict into trouble with those Cougars."

"I get it, Mom." The teenaged dragonfly said, rolling his eyes.

On the other side of his stoop, Angela hugged her nephew Johnathan goodbye.

"Good luck, Johnny." She said warmly.

"You bet I will, Aunt Angie." The young Green dragon chuckled.

"Be careful with that switchblade of yours." Olivia advised. "I don't want you pulling it out at the wrong time. You could bet into serious trouble."

"I'm not stupid, Mom." Johnathan protested. "I know better than to show off with it."

Saul rolled his eyes at this comment. Once the two adult Earth dragonesses turned to walk away, the Commander pulled his son a short distance away and glared down at him.

"Make sure you keep your _friends_ in line during this operation." He whispered in an adamant tone.

"I got it, Pops." His son responded, nodding. "Prince Cyrus is as good as dead."

"And make sure Rune is brought to me **alive**." Saul commanded.

"I'll do the best I can, Pops." The adult dragon sneered.

"Did I not tell you show me the proper respect when speaking to me?" The Commander demanded.

"Uh..." Johnathan stuttered. "Sorry, father."

"That's better." Saul turned his son around and pointed him towards Bergan's carriage. "Now, get going: Your mission has just begun.

"Alright. Goodbye, father."

Johnathan slowly walked towards the carriage that Bergan entered, while Saul turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

_I am putting my faith in you, boy. You had better not fail me._

...

Once all the preparations were finally put together, and not a single thing was left to attend to, all the vehicles set forth on their journeys. The many seafaring vessels left the port all at once, and prepared to make way across the ocean. At the same time, the caravan of carriages and wagons moved onwards to the West, leaving the city limits and heading along the forest pathway.

Over the next few hours, the caravan traveled through the Tarune forest, and eventually passed into the Veros Outskirts. All the while, Bergan enjoyed himself as he sat in his personal carriage.

Bergan's vehicle, the second to last carriage in the caravan, was also the largest one of all. It was made entirely of Metal, and twice the average length. The interior consisted of various pieces of fine furniture: two leather couches ran along the northern and southern sides of the chamber, while a few wool cushions sat around a table that was bolted down on the center of the room. Upon the table sat various pieces of the teenagers' luggage: Flame's burlap sack, Tyrrany's Golden satchel, and so on. The Purple dragon sat on the northeast side of the chamber, while Tyrrany sat to his left, looking out a glass window to her side. Flame and Johnathan shared the opposite couch, while Arthur fluttered about the room out of boredom. A small wooden chest with a metal lock sat just before the adult dragon, its silver key hanging on a chain around the dragoness's neck.

Bergan sipped from a small glass of red wine as he viewed the countryside, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Quite the lovely day." He declared. "Wouldn't you four agree?"

"I guess, sir." Flame answered, shrugging.

"Well **I** happen to think it looks pretty cool." Johnathan added, grinning. Flame and Arthur rolled their eyes at this.

_Suck up_, The Red dragon sneered in his mind.

Tyrrany groaned from her spot on the north couch.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Bergan asked, concerned.

"The countryside is fine enough," The dragoness said halfheartedly, "But what's the point of riding in a vehicle to Warfang? Couldn't we just fly there?"

"I should say not." Bergan scolded.

"How come, Sir?" Arthur queried.

"There's at least a dozen reasons why hiding amongst this caravan is a superior tactic."

"Could you name a few, then?" Tyrrany demanded. Her father sighed.

"Well, for starters, there's at least a hundred dragons in this caravan." He stated. "Since the five of us need to be inconspicuous, it's recommended that we hide amongst the many merchants and other traders, so that we don't stick out like sore talons."

"I guess that makes sense." The dragoness stated.

"There's also a much bigger reason." Bergan extended a forepaw to his daughter. "Would you please hand me the key to our chest, dear?"

Tyrrany sighed, and then immediately placed the key in the Purple dragon's paw.

"Thank you, Tyrrany." He replied, smiling.

Bergan then proceeded to open the chest.

"Now then, I have recently come across a few _exclusive items_, which I plan to sell to some **very **exclusive customers."

"Exclusive items?" Johnathan repeated, an eye raised.

"And who're the customers?" Flame added, confused.

"One question at a time, please." Bergan scolded.

The Purple dragon searched through the chest's contents, and eventually pulled out a large Gem.

The Gem was made entirely of a clear crystal, and shined brilliantly in the sunlight that entered the carriage. The Gem was also the size of an adult dragon's clenched fist, and was attached to a length of Golden chain, which was finely polished.

The three male teenagers were taken completely aback by the amazing light of the Gem.

"Wowza!" Arthur exclaimed, eyeing the crystal.

"Where'd you get a gem like **that**, sir?" Flame asked, astonished.

"This isn't just _any_ Gem." Bergan declared. "It's called a Serenity Gem. While most common gems are used for healing purposes, Serenity Gems are purely ornamental in purpose. However, they are also incredibly rare, making them some of the most sought-after, and incredibly expensive, Gems in the entirety of the Dragon Realms. I only came across this one through some **extremely** shrewd bartering tactics."

"Who're you going to sell it to?" Johnathan wondered.

"Nobody you'd be familiar with. That's all you need to know." The Purple dragon said sternly.

"What else are you going to sell, sir?" Arthur queried.

"With all due respect, Arthur, that's on a need to know basis."

"If you say so, sir."

All the while, Tyrrany continued to frown as she looked out her window.

"I still think we should've flown." She said with contempt. "Travel by land takes too long for me to stand."

"All good things to those who wait, Tyrrany." Bergan said reassuringly.

"I've been waiting for years now, father." The dragoness stated in irritation.

"Then surely you can wait a little while longer." The Purple dragon replied.

"Yeah." Johnathan agreed, smiling. "And besides, we could always pass the time by talking about stuff."

The dragoness turned and glared angrilly at the Earth dragon, which made him shudder.

"Is that so?" She asked sarcastically. "Well, I've got the perfect topic to start with!"

She immediately turned towards Bergan, a sneer clear on her face. The Earth dragon gasped in alarm, while Flame and Arthur looked on in concern.

_What's his problem?_ The Fire dragon wondered.

"Is something the matter, dear?" The adult dragon asked, confused by the sudden change in atittude.

"Father," Tyrrany began, "just the other night, Johnathan came to my chamber and-."

"Told her what an beautiful dragoness she is!" The Earth dragon quickly blurted out.

Tyrrany shot the Johnathan a razorsharp glare for a brief moment, which made him tremble with discomfort. Bergan and the other teenagers, meanwhile, were taken aback by the sudden comment.

"Excuse me?" The Purple dragon asked, an eye raised.

"Y... Yeah." Johnathan stated, laughing nervously. "I told Tyrrany that she was an amazing young girl, both with and without her disguise."

"With and without, you say?" Bergan queried. He turned to look at his daughter. "Did you happen to show Johnathan your hide the other night before you revealed it last night, dear?"

"... Yes, father." The dragoness answered coldly. "I... figured there shouldn't be secrets between me and my future husband, so I figured I might as well show him my scales. He was surprised at first, but he's come to accept it as who I am." The dragoness glared again. "Right, Johnny?"

"Yes, of course!" Johnathan declared, chuckling awkwardly again.

"I see..." Bergan stated. "Well, it's good to see you two getting along so well."

"Yeah..." Tyrrany responded sarcastically."

All the while, Flame looked on in both astonishment, and irritation.

_Okay, what the flying fuck happened that night?_

When it looked like the conversation was ending on its own, the Red dragon decided to let the subject drop.

_Nevermind. I don't want to get worked up over this. Whatever those two are hiding, I'll find out from Tyrrany when I find the time in Warfang._

...

It was the middle of the night when the caravan finally approached the city of Commerce.

The wagons and carriages moved through the Eastern gate, and headed straight for the southeastern district, which had a massive clearing that was reserved for vehicles to trade goods and services. Once all the wagons and carriages of the caravan came to a stop, a mass number of the FTC employees set to work preparing for the coming day, and the many business endeavors to follow suit.

Tyrrany turned to look out her window. Excitement filled the dragoness's being as she scanned the surrounding city blocks.

"We're here..." She said with amazement. "We're finally in Warfang!"

"Yeah..." Johnathan agreed, though less excited.

Flame and Arthur didn't comment, for they had fallen asleep: the Red dragon sprawled out on his side of the couch, and the dragonfly resting against Flame's nose.

The dragoness turned towards her father and smiled.

"Can I go for a tour of the city, father?" She asked, eyes pleading.

The Purple dragon sighed.

"Not now, dear." He replied. "It's much too late at night for you to get started."

"But father-"

"Please don't argue with me, Tyrrany." Bergan stated solemnly. "I can tell you're much too tired to get a move on. Take a tip from Flamaedelus and Arthur: Get some sleep for now."

The dragoness sighed defeatedly. She noticed that it had become increasingly harder for her to keep her eyes open, and parts of her limbs ached.

"I guess you're right, father." She admitted.

"What about me?" Johnathan asked. "I don't feel nearly as tired."

"You should still try to sleep for now, Johnathan." Bergan stated.

"As you wish, sir."

Tyrrany and Johnathan did their best to get comfortable on their respective sides of the carriage. The dragoness curled up into a tight ball on her side of her couch, while the Earth dragon grabbed a few of the cushions from around the table and formed a makeshift bed on the carriage floor. Eventually, the carriage was filled with the various sounds of four different patterns of snoring: Tyrrany's being the softest, Arthur's being the quickest, Johnathan's being the slowest, and Flame's being the loudest.

Amid the chorus of snores, Bergan turned towards his window. Far off in the center of the city stood the mighty Warfang Temple, the largest building in the entire city. And up in the sky, there floated the massive Black fortress known as The Nexus.

Bergan chuckled determindly as he focused on the Temple, eyes filled with intent.

"Tell me, Elenar." He whispered, grinning. "Do you still wish to make amends with me?"


	27. Act 1, Chapter 7 FM

Act 1, Chapter 7

Nerona and Grail walked through the many hallways of the temple on their way to the Main Chamber. They pushed past their many subordinates on their way, refusing to stop before they told the Queen the urgent news.

"Unbelievable." Grail hissed. "To think, that despicable Bastard would have the nerve to send some of his subordinates to our city."

"Calm yourself, Grail." Nerona scolded. "Delving directly into animosity will only lead to disaster."

The Silver dragon snorted.

"Let's just notify Queen Elenar and see what she has to say."

As the two Deep Shadows walked along the halls, they spotted a young Fauna dragon loitering around one of the nearby passages. As they approached, it turned out to be Chalice.

The young Fauna dragon was standing a short discance away from a set of torches, one of his forelegs pressed against the backwall. He held a small, rubber ball in his free forpaw, and was bouncing it against the floor, causing it to rebound off the wall and head back towards the dragon. An amused expression was on his face the whole time.

When Grail and Nerona within speaking distance to Chalice, the older Fauna dragon became annoyed.

"Chalice!" The Aged dragon exclaimed.

The younger dragon yelped at the sudden noise, and clearly flinched as well. He immediately scooped up his ball and stood at attention.

"Uh...Hi, Grandfather." Chalice stated nervously.

"What are you doing out of your bedchamber after hours?" Grail demanded.

"I was too tired to sleep," The younger dragon replied, "So I thought I'd pass the time by-"

"That's no excuse to be standing out in the hallway like riff-raff." The Deep Shadow scolded.

"But Grandfather, I was only-"

"No buts." Grail declared, glaring. "You are to return to your chamber immediately, or else you'll be punished. Is that understood?"

Chalice put his ball away, and then frowned.

"Yes, Grandfather." He said solemnly, looking towards the floor.

"Good. Then go."

Chalice turned and walked towards the other end of the hallway.

"Goodnight." He said behind himself.

Grail sighed as he watched his grandson go.

"Goodnight, Chalice."

Once the young dragon was gone, Grail continued walking towards the Queen's chamber. Nerona followed close behind, eyeing the older Deep Shadow.

"You seem slightly less adamant all of a sudden." She stated.

"The boy is a handful," Grail replied, "but he's family. The only family I have left, in fact."

_Family... _The dragoness nodded disapprovingly behind the male's view. _What good is family?_

"We mustn't waste any more time." Nerona said out loud. "We should report to the Queen, before she retires to her bedchamber for the night."

"Yes..." The male dragon said. "We must deal with the matter of those intruders straightaway."

...

Within a few moments, the two Deep Shadows came to a stop before the doorway leading to the Main Chamber. After nodding to a pair of Cheetah guards, the doors were opened, and the two Dark dragons walked inside.

Elenar was sitting before the Pool of Visions, and a trio of Dragonflies floated a short distance away. Two of the dragonflies were holding a scroll open, while the third one held a Quill pen with both hands. During this time, the dragoness was reciting something, while the Dragonfly with the Quill immediately copied it down onto the scroll. Elenar seemed solemn as she spoke.

"...So please respond to my scroll as soon as possible." She finished. "Preferrably before the next Council begins. Best wishes, Queen Elenar of Warfang."

The dragonfly wrote down what the Queen recited, and the two other dragonflies got to work rolling it up.

"We'll have the message sent to Faeshrine straightaway, your majesty." The dragonfly with the Quill declared.

"Thank you, sir." The dragoness responded, bowing her head.

"No, thank YOU, milady."

The dragonflies flew up towards one of the high windows to leave the chamber, while Nerona and Grail approached the Queen.

"Good evening, you majesty." They said in unison.

"Greetings, you two." Elenar replied. "What brings you to me at this hour?"

"Your highness, just recently, a large caravan of traders has arrived from Faeshrine." Nerona declared.

The Queen's eyes lit up in shock.

"Faechrine?" She asked, alarmed.

"Aye." Grail answered. "I recommend taking a battalion of soldiers over there right now and forcing them out of our city."

"That seems rather rash, if you ask me." Nerona scolded.

"Well, I certainly don't think any minions of that purple-hided violator should be allowed within a hundred miles of our city." The Fauna dragon snapped.

"Grail, that's enough." Elenar stated blankly, yet softly.

"What?" He asked, taken aback.

"They're only innocent traders and merchants, seeking to do business. I see no reason to deny them our hospitality."

"But your majesty-"

"I said, that is enough." The Queen declared, glaring. Grail sighed, and then bowed his head.

"As you wish, milady."

Without another word, the Fauna dragon turned to leave the chamber. Nerona, however, stayed behind, a gleam on her face.

"So, shall I set up negotiations?" The Deep Shadow asked.

"Huh?" Elenar replied, confused.

"With the leader of the traders." Nerona clarified. "I believe we should establish regulations as to when they may freely operate during the day and night hours."

"Oh." The Queen responded, sighing. "Very well. You may go speak with the traders' leader and openly decide on when they may operate."

"As you command, your Majesty." The Deep Shadow stated, bowing her head. "I'll go meet with them tomorrow morning."

"Alright."

Nerona bowed her head again, and turned to leave the chamber. Elenar found herself all alone once again.

The Queen sat down on the stone floor of the chamber, and breathed deeply.

"I wonder if Bergan is among them." She stated solemnly.

As Elenar sat there, her memories slowly floated to the surface of her mind.

...

The mating with Bergan had been the most unusual experience in Elenar's entire life.

The Purple dragon had used his mastery of the element of Pain to nullify almost all of the Dark Grey dragoness's nerves. Elenar felt almost no part of her body at all, save for a few around her groin. She could see Bergan lying on top of her, and yet it was almost as though she was separated from her body, witnessing from afar as the Purple dragon made love to her physical form. On occasion, the two dragons' hips would brush against each other for brief spans of time as Bergan drove himself further into her, and Elenar even found herself gasping on occasion here and there, though she tried to keep it hidden.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, and yet it wasn't an entirely _unpleasant_ one either.

Before Elenar knew it, she found herself awakening from slumber.

The dragoness could feel her body once again, and was lying on the massive Golden mattress in the center of Bergan's bedchamber. She was underneath a thick set of golden-laced fabric sheets, and found the Purple dragon sleeping next to her, his thick forelegs wrapped around her form. He was snoring calmly, a satisfied smile in his face the whole while.

Elenar sighed solemnly as she felt Bergan's body brush slightly against her own. She reached over with a forepaw and lightly shook the larger dragon's paw.

"Bergan." She stated. "Bergan, wake up."

Soon, the Libra Prince awoke, and found himself looking into the eyes of the Aries Princess. He smiled warmly upon seeing her.

"Good morning, Elenar." He greeted, lightly kissing the dragoness on the cheek. "Did you enjoy the previous night?"

"It was... Odd." The Princess stated. "I've never had such a sensation over me before."

"Well," Bergan replied, frowning, "I was worried that I may cause you accidental harm, so I belived it best to place a numbing spell over you. I apologize for not asking your consent to place the magic over you."

"No, it's fine." Elenar replied. "I know what you intended."

"That's good to hear."

The Libra Prince let go of his grip on the Princess, and proceeded to climb out of bed, standing up upon the floor. He proceeded to approach a massive dresser on the far side of the room.

"This may seem sudden, but I have a pair of gifts for you, Elenar." He said happily.

"Gifts?" The dragoness asked.

"Oh yes."

Bergan shifted through his dresser for a brief time, and then produced two Jade necklaces. He then turned back towards Elenar, and presented the necklaces to her.

"Do you see these necklaces?" He asked. "They were constructed by the finest of Earth dragon artisans, and are identical in every possible way."

"What are they for?" Elenar wondered.

"These necklaces are your gifts, Elenar." Bergan declared, smiling. "One is for you, and the other is for our child."

The Princess was taken aback by this.

_You mean to tell me he planned to give me those in advance?_ She thought, slightly angered. _He KNEW I would consent to be his mate beforepaw, and had those necklaces all along?_

"...The're lovely, Bergan." Elenar said, a small, forced smile upon her face.

"I'm glad to hear that, Elenar." The Purple dragon replied. He approached the dragoness and hung one of the necklaces around her neck. "Take a look in the mirror: The necklace perfectly complements your eyes."

The Aries Princess got out of the bed and approached a lifesize mirror on the southern end of the room, near the bedroom doorway.

She took a moment to study her reflection. The Jade necklace did look rather amazing on her, though she wasn't used to wearing jewelry around her neck, as opposed to her head and ankles.

"Thank you for the gifts, Bergan." Elenar said, feigning another smile.

"You're welcome, my dear." The Libra Prince replied. He approached from behind Elenar and handed her the dress and Tiara she had worn the previous night. "Here's your attire."

"Thanks again."

The dragoness spent a few moments putting on her clothes, while Bergan did the same with his own. Once both dragons were dressed, the male turned towards the doorway and opened it.

"Come. We should explain our plans, as well as our mating, to your friends and family."

"Alright..." Elenar replied solemnly.

Bergan let the Princess walk out before him, and then closed the door behind himself. The Prince proceeded to lead the way down the hall.

As the two dragons walked along, Elenar struggled not to let tears fall from her eyes. This would be extremely difficult to explain to her parents. Especially her father.

...

"NO!" Alexander bellowed. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

When Elenar told Elza and Queen Eliza about how she and Bergan had "decided to marry", the two were taken aback. It seemed like an extremely sudden move to the Queen, at first. However, Bergan and Elenar explained what the Purple dragon pointed out the previous night, and it soon seemed like a reasonable course of action, if a massive one at that.

Some time later, the Queen and her entourage returned to the Mountains of Inferdus, and Elenar decided to explain the situation to King Alexander. And it seemed that things were not going to be settled easilly. Alexander, Eliza, Elenar, Elza, and Nerona were all in the Throne Room in Mount Erebus. The King and Queen were seated on their thrones, while the three younger dragonesses stood before them, Elenar in the direct middle. The Princess began by announcing, albeit nervously, that she was going to marry Bergan.

And Alexander had just voiced his disapproval of the notion.

"Father, please..." Elenar protested, "There's a reason I've decided to-"

"Have you gone completely mad, Elenar?" The Dark Grey King exclaimed, glaring. "Why would you suddenly wish to marry that Devilish louse? **Especially** after all the trouble he's caused for the Dragon Realm?"

"She has a... somewhat good point, dear." Eliza said calmly.

"'Somewhat good point'?" Alexander asked skeptically. "Elaborate!"

Eliza and her daughter recited what Bergan had told Elenar back in Aeroshard: That the Light dragons might turn towards clans Aries and Capricorn with hateful eyes, and how the Libra Prince wishes to turn the city of Power into a safe haven for the Dark dragon race. During this time, Nerona eyed Elenar with wrathful eyes. Elza noticed this, but didn't say a word.

"...So you see, father," The Princess stated, "By marrying Bergan, it will be a sign that the Light and Dark races can still band together, even in times of hardship. And any children we have together would be living Hope for the future..."

"Children?" The King repeated incredulously. "Balderdash! If you have any children with that wretch of a man, I'll disown them, and You, outright!"

Elenar, Elza and Eliza all gasped in surprise.

"But..." The Princess mumbled, almost at tears

"Alexander!" The Queen shouted angrilly. "How dare you say that to our daughter!"

The male Pain dragon weakoned a bit under his wife's glare, but he stayed strongly adamant.

"I don't want any grandchildren of mine to be the spawn of that **monster**." He declared.

"But father..." Elenar said again, still a little shaken up. "I don't have a choice."

"Don't have a choice?" The King exclaimed. "You most certainly don't! I won't allow you to marry Bergan, and that is final!"

"But what about the danger our race is in, father?" The Princess responded. "We need to find a new home for our people."

"Says who? That fiend? I wouldn't trust his word as far as I could throw him."

"But what if he's right?" Eliza queried. "The Light dragons **have** become increasingly estatic about bringing the other Dark dragon clans to an end. If they decide to come after Clan Aries, the entirety of our people will be trapped within our own home. We'll need to hide elsewhere."

Alexander sighed in contempt.

"This is a serious problem indeed, I suppose."

"May I say something, your grace?" Nerona suddenly asked.

"What is it, Nerona?" The Queen asked.

"I believe that there is a few flaws in Bergan's ultimate plan." The Red-headed dragoness stated.

"Flaws?" Elza asked, confused.

"What do you mean, Nerona?" Alexander demanded.

"Bergan seems to have failed to point out that Aeroshard would be shared amongst the Light dragons, Dark dragons, and Nondragon races, like the Cats, Lagomorphs and Moles. A massive population like that would take up a great amount of recources: Not an easy thing to keep balanced."

"Hmm..." The Queen said in thought.

"Next, there's the fact that there may come a time when the Dark dragons are found out, and they'll have to flee for their lives. Considering the position that Aeroshard is in: completely surrounded on all sides by Light dragon territory... The Dark dragons would be trapped."

Elenar's eyes grew wide. She hadn't thought of any of that.

"So, Bergan's plan would be a failure from the start." Alexander stated.

"Not necessarilly, your Highness." Nerona replied. "What if the Dark dragons had a safe haven, separate from any land-locked region."

"Land-locked region?" Elza asked.

"What if the haven could... float in the sky?" The Red-headed dragoness suggested.

Alexander and Eliza were taken aback.

"A Haven in the sky?" The Queen repeated.

"How would that be possible?" The King wondered.

"It would take a large amount of Space magic, as well as some modern technology." Nerona answererd. "I believe that the dragons of the Floating Plains could lend us a paw in that regard."

"Lend us a paw?" Alexander wondered. "What are you going on about?"

Nerona smiled.

"If you give me a few more moments of time, your Highness," She stated, "I can explain my plan."

...

During the next couple of weeks, the dragons of Clan Aries were beginning to get organized to leave Mount Erebus in mass quantities. Most of them were confused as to why they had to leave their people's home so suddenly, but no answer was given to them. During the time period, no word had come of any survivors of the battle for the Raunn Jungle. Elza became increasingly worried, but fought to keep her sadness to herself.

In the meantime, The King and Queen sent a letter to King Urobos of the Floating Plains, requesting an audience with him. They also sent a letter to Queen Persephone, requesting the same thing, in the same place.

After about a week and a half, responce letters came from both Monarchs. Urobos and Persephone both agreed to meet with the Eliza and her family, though the latter was somewhat confused as to why it had to take place in the Floating Plains, while the former wished to know what the matter was about. The Aries Queen sent another pair of letters, one to both Monarch, explaining that all would be revealed when the meeting took place.

In the meantime, Nerona spent some time drawing out detailed schematics for the "Haven in the sky", as it came to be called. The details were shared only with the King and Queen, though Elenar and Elza were dying of curiosity. But despite all their attempts to learn it for themselves, they were kept in the dark.

And all this time, Elenar began feeling something strange deep within herself. A feint, spark of life was starting to grow inside of her. There was to be no mistaking it: Elenar was pregnant with Bergan's child. The Pain dragoness had yet to tell her friends of family that she had mated with the Libra prince, and after what her father had said, she feared speaking of it. Elenar didn't know what to do on the matter, so she decided to stay quiet on the subject for the time being.

...

Eventually, the day came for the Royal Family and a small entourage of soldiers to leave the Mountains of Inferdus once again, this time heading to the Floating Plains to the east. Unlike last time, Alexander left with them as well, at his wife's request. In the meantime, Mount Erebus was left under the watchful eyes of the Aries Elders.

The Floating Plains lied on the eastern edge of the Northern Continent, running the entire length of the Tarune forest. Hundreds of years ago, the land was known as the Tall Plains, and was a series of Islands situated on a gigantic cliff. The Plains were the main home of a tribe of Llama beings known as the Atlawa. After the Ring of Annhilation came, the Plains were broken into many shards of land and charged with massive amounts of magical energy, causing them to float weightlessly in the air, tens of hundreds of yards over a great long beach. Some time later, the Space dragons of Clan Capricorn came to these floating Islands, and made them their permanent home. Due to their gravity-defying stasis, as well as the dragons who lived there, the remnants of the Tall Plains were renamed the Floating Plains.

The Ruling Family of Clan Capricorn lived on the largest Island among the Islands, known as The Waypoint, due to the fact that it floated in the exact center of the mass of Islands. The Waypoint was large enough to hold a large township, a small forest, and even a mountain upon it.

The sun was beginning to set as the Aries entourage arrived at the Floating Plains. The winds were blowing harshly across the land, causing the dragons' clothing to ripple. Alexander, Eliza, Elenar, Nerona, Elza, and the small mass of Aries dragons flew towards The Waypoint and came to a landing on the main road of the township. As this happened, many Space dragons, and the occasional dragonflies and Flora dragons, walking along their way stopped and watched the gathering with awe and confusion.

Many of the buildings in the town were constructed of solid stone, carved out of the very landscape of the Island itself. Most of them had lanterns hanging just above the outer doorways, possibly to illuminate the streets during nighthours. There were a carriages and wagons moving along here and there: They were used to ferry goods and resources all about the island.

As the Aries dragons walked up the main road, Elza became skittish of the dragons eyeing her.

"Why are they watching us like that?" She asked worriedly.

"Perhaps they don't see dragons besides ones of their own kind very often." Eliza suggested.

"In any case, it doesn't matter." Alexander declared. "Let's just find King Urobos so we can get this over with."

"No need to be hasty, dear." The Queen scolded.

All the while, Elenar looked down at the ground, staying silent as the grave.

During the last two weeks, she wasn't sure what to do. On the one paw, she feared that Bergan would be furious upon learning that his plan to save the Dark dragon race would be stolen from him and put to use through other methods, as well as the fact that the Aries Princess would not become his wife. She didn't truly **wish** to marry the Purple dragon, but she still felt as though she had to. On the other paw, she feared that her father Alexander would disown her if she tried to marry the Libra Prince. No matter how much her mother and Eliza try to defend Elenar, the King would still be enraged that his daughter would go against his wishes. The Princess tried to come up with a solution to her problem, but she truly had no idea what to do.

As the group walked onwards, they eventually approached a paved cobblestone road that led up to a massive Stone Palace built into the side of the mountain. Just before them, all standing at attention, were three dragons in Dark Grey Robes, with a few dragonflies and a battalion of soldiers standing behind them.

The dragon in the center was a Fauna dragon, somewhere in his early forties. His thick Silver hide was well chisled, as were his five Brown horns. His Crimson mane was shaved short, and his face held an adamant expression. He focused on the approaching dragons with his Dark Red eyes.

The dragon on the left was a female Sound dragon. She was in her late twenties, and her hide was significantly lighter in shade than the larger dragon's. Her eyes and Underbelly were a Deep Blue, and part of her flowing Brown mane fell over her left eye. She had two tusklike, red horns, which extended out from under her beaklike snout.

The dragon on the right was a Flora dragon in his early twenties, almost Elza's age. He had a decently muscular Dark Grey hide, with a Bronze mane that fell to the tip of his lower jaw. His eyes and horns were a matching Red color, while the latter bent backwards around his head in curves.

When The King and Queen approached the three dragons, the latter group bowed their heads, save for the center dragon.

"You are King Alexander and Queen Eliza, I presume." The Fauna dragon stated.

"Aye." The King answered. "Who are you? And why do you block our path?"

The Burly dragon shook his head.

"You misunderstand, your Highness." He said. "I am Grail, and these two are Rose and Albanion. We are three of King Urobos' Deep Shadows. He knew you'd be arriving around this time, so he sent us to wait for you here and escort you straight to him."

"I see." Alexander replied.

"Deep Shadows?" Elza questioned.

"That is the name of the group of Warriors who serve directly under the Capricorn oyal family." Rose clarified. "Come: We'll show you the way to the Throne Room."

"As you wish." Alexander stated.

Grail turned towards the nearest dragonfly, a Yellow one.

"Fly ahead and alert King Urobos immediately." He commanded. "Tell him the Aries Royal Family has finally arrived."

"Yes, sir." The dragonfly replied.

As the dragonfly took off towards the Palace, Grail had the Capricorn soldiers take flank on either side of the Aries royal family. Rose and Albanion did the same thing, with the former standing beside Princess Elenar and the latter standing beside Elza. As the group walked onwards, the Wind dragoness eyed the Flora dragon beside her. Albanion noticed this, but said nothing. Elenar realized what Elza was doing as well.

"What are you doing?" The Princess whispered.

"He's kinda cute." Her friend whispered back, smiling. Elenar chuckled at this.

"Don't get any ideas."

...

About an hour later, Prince Bane was walking along through the passages of the Royal Palace, heading for the throne room.

The Palace, being built partially within a mountainside, had very few windows to speak of. So, the stone walls of the corridors and chambers were kept illuminated by a combination of lanterns, and Spirit Gems. Most of the areas in the Palace were only dimly lit, but since Dark dragons were well-adapted to dark areas, this wasn't too much of a problem.

Bane, being in his early twenties, was decently sized, though still years away from reaching his full height and thickness. A small stubble of manehair grew upon his chin, and the rest of his mane was neatly trimmed short. A set of Dark Grey robes covered most of the Black dragon's body, and a pair of light grey gloves were worn on his forepaws.

As the Prince made his way to the throne room, he passed by a couple of Crimson-hided dragonesses roughly his age, who happily greeted him upon sight.

"Good evening, your highness." The taller one stated, smiling.

"Hi." The Black dragon stated quickly, continuing on his way.

The dragonesses immediately started following after Bane.

"Hey, wait!" The shorter one shouted out. "Can't we chat for a moment, your grace?"

"NO." The Prince stated blankly, not even looking behind himself. He left the dragonesses behind, the two of them frowning.

This was not the first time this had happened. Quite recently, ever since Bane reached the age where he could start seeking a mate, a large number of Space dragonesses, and the occasional Flora dragoness, had been trying to get some quality time with the Prince. However, Bane didn't _want_ a mate: He wasn't interested. His father Urobos had become aware of Bane's personal feelings, and had been trying to find a dragoness who could change his son's mind. So far, the King's attempts had not come to bear fruit, and Bane was pleased with that.

At the moment, Bane was heading towards the throne room: Urobos had summoned him for some sort of meeting. What it was about, the Prince was not sure.

"I suppose I'll find out once I arrive." He decided.

Eventually, Bane reached a stone-and-metal side doorway into the throne room, and stepped inside.

The Throne room was the largest and most marverously designed chamber in the entire Palace. The walls and floor of the massive room were polished marble instead of the usual granite. Several massive clusters of Gems were embedded ito the walls and ceiling, while a gigantic Garnet was emzlazonded into the far wall. Two massive Golden cushions sat on either side of the enormous Garnet. The two side walls of the chamber were decorated with various portraits of Black dragons, all of them Kings of Clan Capricorn throughout history.

A great number of dragons were already in the Throne room when Bane walked in. A large assortment of soldiers, all dressed in Silver armor, were standing at the ready before both side walls. King Urobos sat upon one of the two thrones, dressed in his Regal attire. And standing just to the left of Urobos' throne was the ruling family of the Tarune forest: Queen Persephone and her son, Prince Hemlokk.

Persephone was a decidedly slender Flora dragoness, despite being fairly tall. Her Dark Grey body was significantly more elongated than that of a regular dragon, giving her a serpent-like appearance. Her eyes and Underbelly were a dull, Azure hue, and a Bronze pendant was worn around her neck. Four Silver horns grew from the back of her head, and bent towards each other as they bent down her neck, coming to a point just above the midsection of her neck. A Maroon-tinted crown sat upon the Queen's Rose-colored hair, and was adorned with a series of six spikes, and six Opals. Lastly, a Purple-colored glyph in the shape of a Liliy Flower was emblazoned onto her chest.

Hemlokk was Persephone's son and heir, and roughly Bane's age. He had an unusually thick build for a Flora dragon, and was about a head shorter than his mother. He had the same scale color as the Queen, but his underbelly was a low Golden color. A pair of glass spectacles sat upon his snout, just before his Hazel eyes. Three slender, Emerald Green horns crowned his head, all of them growing just above his eyes and curling upwards and backwards. His Maroon mane fell down to the midpoint of his neck, and a small Maroon-colored chunk of stubble grew upon his chin. A silver coat was worn over his back, and a series of Bronze rings decorated his tail. A Purple Lily Flower was emblazoned on his chest, in the same spot as Persephone's.

Queen Persephone and her entourage arrived in The Waypoint just a few days ago. She claimed that she had received a letter from the royal family of Clan Aries some time ago, and had agreed to meet them in the Floating Plains. Persephone then sent a letter to Urobos requesting permission to stay in The Waypoint for a few days, and the Capricorn King said yes. So, the Scorpio Queen and her son arrived in The Waypoint, and were waiting for the Aries Clan's arrival ever since.

Bane slowly approached Urobos, Persephone and Hemlokk, bowing to the Black King upon stepping close enough.

"Good evening, Father." He stated. The Capricorn turned and bowed to the Scorpio royals in turn. "Greetings Lady Persephone, Sir Hemlokk."

"Hello Ma'boy." Urobos replied, smiling.

"Hello, young Bane." Persephone greeted warmly. Hemlokk remained silent.

"What did you call me for, father?" The Black Prince queried.

"Well, we have just recently been informed that the royal family of Clan Aries has arrived in The Floating Plains." Urobos answered.

"They have?" Bane asked, astounded.

"Of course. They're going to be arriving here any moment."

"Is..." Bane stated nervously. "Is Elenar among them?

"Possibly. Any reason why you want to know, ma'boy?"

"Uh..."

Urobos and Persephone chuckled.

"It's been a long time since either you or Hemlokk has seen the girl." Persephone declared. "In fact, it's been a long time since any of the younger Generation of Monarchs has met in one place."

"Aye." Hemlokk declared. "I wonder why Queen Eliza would request for us to meet like this."

"As do I, Hemlokk." Urobos stated. "But I suppose we'll find out when they meet us here."

"When are they arriving here, father?" Bane asked.

"They should be here very soon, Bane. Hold your horses."

"Okay, then..."

The Black prince walked before the unoccupied Golden throne and stood at attention, facing the back of the chamber. Persephone and Hemlokk stood at attention on the opposite side of Urobos.

_I hope they arrive here soon, _Bane thought. _It's been far too long..._

Eventually, the Aries ruling family finally arrived at the Throne room. Eliza, Alexander, Elenar, Elza and Nerona walked through the main doorway: A pair of massive, Stone-and-Metal doors. Albanion and Rose made to stop before the door as the ruling family walked in, and a small pair of Aries Soldiers followed inside, as was their duty. Grail continued walking forwards in front of the group, and stopped before his King.

"Your Highness," The Fauna dragon announced, "it is my honor and privilege to present Lady Eliza, and Lord Alexander, or the Mountains of Inferdus."

Eliza and Alexander stepped before Urobos and Persephone, and all four Monarchs bowed their heads. Grail walked over to stand next to Bane.

As The Aries King eyed the Capricorn King, his adamant expression slowly melted away: A most rare occasion.

"It's been far too long, my old friend." Alexander stated, a small grin upon his face.

"Hello, Alexander." Urobos replied, just as warmly. The Black King turned his gaze to look over the other Aries royals. "Ah, I see Eliza is a well as ever..."

"Thank you, Urobos." The Aries Queen responded, bowing.

"...And Elenar and Nerona have grown to become fine young dragonesses in their own right. That's wonderful."

Elenar blushed with embarrassment, Elza chuckled at the sight, but Nerona only snorted. All the while, Bane watched from his post. He struggled to feign a serious expression, but it was a difficult task, as he was fascinated by the discovery of how well Elenar had turned out in the last seven to eight years.

_It's amazing. _He stated. _I could hardly recognize her._

"I hate to be rude," Hemlokk declared, "But now that you're hear, your Majesty, would you be so kind as to tell us why you requested this get together?"

"Now now, Hemlokk." Persephone scolded. "That's no way to treat other guests."

"However, the boy's right." Alexander agreed. "A most serious matter needs attending, and we have no more time to waste."

"What do you mean, Alexander?" Urobos queried.

"Allow me to explain." Eliza answered for her husband.

"Go right ahead."

The Aries Queen cleared her throat, and began speaking.

"Urobos, Persephone, I am not sure if you are aware of this, but quite some time ago, King Boreas of Clan Aquarius lost his life in the battle for the Raunn Jungle."

A heavy silence fell about the room. The Capricorn and Scorpio Monarchs had sullen expressions, while Hemlokk and Bane were horrified.

"What's become of the rest of Clan Aquarius?" The Silver-hided Prince demanded.

"We are unsure." The Aries Queen answered. "However, it's safe to say that Clan Aquarius is no more. This makes it the third Clan to fall, after Leo and Taurus. Do you know what those three clans had in common?"

"Um..."

"They were Dark dragon Clans." Urobos declared. "All of them were eliminated by the Light side of the war."

"Correct, Urobos."

"The end of the Twilight War is coming soon." Persephone stated solemnly. "The dragons of my clan will need to flee from our land in the Tarune forest."

"Why?" The Black King asked. "Why flee from your ancestral home?"

"Because the Light dragons will no doubt come to kill them." Elenar replied. "Even if the Scorpio dragons try to surrender, the Light dragon clans will come to slay them all, just because they are Dark dragons."

"That's... correct." Hemlokk said, slightly amazed. "But how do you know that?"

"That's not all we know." Alexander answered. "We know, and fear, that the Light dragons will turn towards the neutral Dark dragon clans with hateful eyes, and try to kill us all."

"Excuse me?" Urobos asked. "What in blazes are you all going on about?"

"It's hard to explain, my old friend, but we'll try our best..."

The Monarchs of both Aries and Scorpio proceeded to explain what the Purple dragon Bergan had stated to both clans: How because of his "mistake", the entirety of the Dark dragon race was doomed to ethnic prejudice and mass genocide. Persephone and Hemlokk stated how they were planning to flee with their people to the city of Aeroshard, and Eliza and Alexander explained how Bergan offered to provide shelter to their clan as well, thought the Aries King was strongly oppossed to this.

All the while, Bane and Grail listened in on the conversation with interest, though they didn't enter into the conversation.

"This is pretty horrifying stuff." The Black prince whispered. "Isn't it Grail?"

"Don't speak while on your post, Bane." The Deep Shadow scolded. "It's unbecoming of a soldier."

"But, I..."

"Silence." Grail demanded, glaring.

Bane sighed, but said nothing else. He only continued to listen in on the conversation.

_What are we going to do? The Light dragons are going to kill us all if we just sit around._

"...My my my." Urobos declared, running a forepaw through his Silver beard. "This is quite disturbing information indeed."

"I highly doubt any of the people among our three Clans will be pleased with the news that they're going to be hunted like cattle." Persephone stated solemnly. "I myself am still struggling to find the courage to tell my own people that they must soon abandon their home."

"Is it true that the neutral clans will be targetted as well?" The Black King asked. "Is there no way for us to save ourselves?"

"If Bergan's word is to be trusted, and I find that hard to do," Alexander responded, "But it's quite possible."

"Unless, of course, precautions are taken." Nerona interrupted. This was the first time during the entire conversation that she said anything.

"Precautions?" Urobos asked. "What do you mean?"

Nerona reached into her satchel and produced her large scroll. She then handed it over to Urobos and Persephone, and started speaking.

"Do you see those schematics?" She asked. "They are for something that is unprecedented in all of Draconian history: A floating city."

"Floating city?" Hemlokk repeated.

"Imagine, if you will, a safe haven for the Dark dragons off the world, which was free from any land-locked place of origin." Nerona continued. "It would be powered by a combination of technology, and massive amounts of Space magic. It would be free to float amongst the clouds, far beyond the scope of hate-filled eyes."

Urobos spent a moment looking over the plans, his eyes darting over it as if searching for flaws.

"Ingenous..." He stated "But what would you need it for? And how would you plan to build it?"

"What if, your Highness, the Dark dragon clans were to band together and live in this haven as a unified race?"

Another silence fell upon the room.

"You want the Dark dragons to come together as one?" The Scorpio Queen queried.

"Aye." Eliza answered. "Times have become troublesome for us all. If we pool together our recourses and manpower, we can construct a new home for the Dark dragon race within a year... That is, if you both agree to this."

Urobos and Persephone exchanged glances.

"Well, _I_ see no harm in giving this a try," The Scorpio dragoness stated, "But what about you, Urobos?"

"It all depends." The Black King said. "What I want to know is: Who do you plan on having rule over the new haven?"

"Well, since Clan Capricorn would need to be the ones to provide the Space magic," Alexander replied, "It seems only fair if **you** rule over the haven."

"Me?" Urobos asked, amazed. "You would all swear fealty to me? That seems most unusual."

"And why is that?" Eliza asked. "You are a Black dragon: The direct descendant of The Great Shadow. Taking rule over the entire Dark dagon race is only a natural step."

"I agree." Persephone responded. "No Dark dragon would ever deny a Black dragon from being their ruler."

"Well, if you insist on this..." Urobos said defeatedly. "Very well, I'll concede: Clan Capricorn shall provide the Space magic needed to create this haven, and I shall take rulership over it."

"And Clan Scorpio shall provide any needed recources for the haven's construction." Persephone added.

"As shall Clan Aries." Eliza declared.

"I'd like to point out now that both of your families shall still hold onto part of your previous authority." The Black King stated. "You shall hold onto your sums of wealth as well. it's only fitting."

"Thank you, Urobos." Persephone and Eliza said in unision.

"Yes, thanks..." Hemlokk added, glaring slightly, though this went unnoticed.

"Furthermore, there is one thing I must ask of you, Eliza." Urobos stated.

"What would that be, Urobos?"

"I am not as young as I used to be: I cannot rule over other Dark dragons for eternity."

"Nobody would ever expect that of you." Alexander replied. "Sooner or later, your son Bane shall step up and become the next Black dragon King. We all know this fact, and accept it already."

"I thank you for bringing up the matter of my son, Alexander. You see, my son has grown from a boy into a young man. And soon, he shall become a King. But, no King can rule over a nation on his own."

Bane filled with dread when he heard this.

_Oh no..._

"What are you suggesting, Urobos?" Alexander queried. "Come now: Out with it."

"Alexander, Eliza, I belive it would be a good idea for your daughter Elenar and my son Bane to become husband and wife."

Once the Black King said this, just about all of the other dragons in the room were shocked and alarmed by the statement.

"WHAT?" Bane bellowed hysterically. "I can't believe you're doing this again, father!" Bane protested.

"Bane, calm down." Urobos scolded.

"NO!" The Prince exlcaimed. "Why do you have to..."

Bane suddenly noticed that most of the other dragons around him were either staring at him, or eyeing him curiously. The most noticeable dragon doing this was Elenar herself.

"Uh... I mean.. you can't just... I don't..."

The Prince turned to walk towards the side doorway.

"I gotta go."

"Bane, wait!" His father cried out.

The Prince didn't obey. Instead, he immediately fled as fast as he could.

"Halt, Bane!" Grail commanded.

The Deep Shadow tried to stop the Prince, but the Black dragon used his Space element to teleport away in a cloud of Black smoke. The Fauna dragon cursed, while the Black King sighed defeatedly.

"What am I going to do with him?" He mused, shaking his head.

"You wish for your son to marry Elenar?" Eliza queried. "What for?"

"Well, there are several reasons for this." Urobos stated, regaining his composure. "For starters, considering how all of the Dark dragons of the realms will be coming together in unity, it's only fitting to have two royals from two different clans come together as mates: It shows our people that our clans unite as one, even in these horrible times. So, unless other suriving royal families our discovered, the only possible solution is for Elenar to marry either Bane, or Prince Hemlokk."

"I'm afraid that is impossible." The Scorpio prince replied. "I am already betrothed to someone.

"I see..." Alexander stated. "So, you want Bane and Elenar to have a marriage of convenience."

"There's more to it, Alexander." Urobos stated. "You see, some time ago, Bane reached the age where he could take on a lover. However, for some reason, he's yet to do so. Many young dragonesses have tried to become intimately friendly with him, yet he always sends them away. I have even taken the liberty of trying to find a dragoness for him, but he refuses to see any of them."

"Perhaps he just doesn't swing that way, your Highness." Elza suggested.

Eliza glared at the Wind dragoness, though Urobos only shook his head.

"No, no, that's not it. If he were, he'd have surely said so by now. But either way, my son has remained alone for years, now."

"Is that truly such a bad thing, your Highness?" Hemlokk asked.

"You don't quite understand. As I've said, I cannot rule as King forever: Bane will have to take my place someday. But before he does, I want to be sure that there will be another Black dragon to take over once it is **his** time to step down."

"You wish to have grandchildren." Eliza stated.

"That _would_ be a wonderful thing, yes, but that's not the main reason. In Clan Capricorn, being a husband and father is an important step in becoming a man. When you're a King, it's important to have a family, so you do grow to be lonesome all your life. Bane needs a wife and children, for his own sake."

"And you wish for my daughter to be his wife." Alexander added.

"Yes... If none of you mind this, that is."

The Aries King stayed silent for a time, but then started to chuckle.

"Urobos, I can honestly say that your son is a much superior alternative to the first option I've seen." He declared.

"Alternative?" Urobos asked, confused.

"Do not worry about that." The Aries King turned towards Elenar, his expression becoming adamant. "Elenar, you are to take up Bane's paw in marriage."

"Now, hold on a second." The Capricorn King interjected. "Elenar doesn't have to agree to this if she doesn't want to."

The Princess had been silent for some time during the conversation. She was amazed by what had been spoken.

"Uh..." She stuttered. "I'd be... um... more than happy to become Bane's wife."

Elza and Nerona were alarmed to hear this.

"Are you sure about this, Elly?" The Wind dragones asked.

"Yes, Elza."

"Then it's decided." Persephone declared. "We'll get to work arranging the construction of the haven, and Bane and Elenar shall become husband and wife."

Urobos sighed.

"The only problem left is getting Bane to agree to this." He stated. "And to be honest, I have my doubts he will."

"Let me go explain the situation to him." Elenar replied. "Maybe I can convince him."

"The best of luck to you, milady." Grail said halfheartedly. "The boy's head is as thick as the stone in this very room.

Elza chuckled a little at the remark, but Eliza glared at her again.

"Where can I find him?" Elenar asked.

"The most likely answer is his own personal 'safe haven'." Urobos answered. "Search for him at the very top of the mountainside."

"Thank you, Lord Urobos."

"And while you're off searching..." The Black King looked about the royal dragons in the chamber. "I believe it's safe to say that this meeting is adjourned. You may all attend to your own personal businesses."

"Thank you, Urobos."

The Royals about the room started preparing to leave, while Elenar ran off in search of Bane.

...

Bane stood upon the peak of the mountain that overlooked the township on The Waypoint. From atop this mighty stone perch, the Prince had an amazing view before him.

The sun had set some time ago, and the clouds had now become all but invisible to the living eye. Tens of Hundreds of dragons went about their way as they moved to and fro on the streets, all of them resembling tiny black blotches far below. Millions of stars shined brightly up in the night sky, and several comets and shooting stars darted quicky across the heavens. Several giant floating islands hovered a short distance away from The Waypoint, but none were quite as large.

As the time marched along, Bane sat in thought upon the peak. He was still none to pleased about what his father had tried to do down in the throne room.

_Where does he get off acting like this?_ He demanded. _Who says I have to find a girl so soon, if at all? Maybe I don't want to be with ANYONE, you obnoxious old..._

The Prince stopped himself, and let out a sigh.

_I shouldn't think things like that._ He scolded himself. _I'm sure father only wants what's best for me: He always has. But then again, this has gotten so irritating. I can't stand having him, or Albanion, or anyone else play matchmaker for me. And I also can't stand all those females trying to woo me. Sometimes I just want to-_

"Bane?" A familiar voice suddenly asked.

The Black dragon gasped in surprise, and turned around to see who was sneaking up on him.

He found himself looking directly into the eyes of Elenar. The dragoness was standing a short distance away,

"Elenar?" He asked, surprised. "What're **you** doing here?"

"Would you mind if we just... talk for a little, Bane?" The dragoness asked.

The Prince ran a paw through his mane, and then shook his head.

"Sure, I guess."

Bane sat down on the rock of the mountain, and Elenar sat down beside him. For a while, the two were silent, looking down at the city below.

"Bane, I understand it if you don't want to marry me." The Princess said solemnly.

"You do?" He asked, confused.

"Yes. I know we were good friends when we were younger, but we've only just reunited with each other not an hour ago. And now, all of a sudden, you are being asked to marry me."

Bane sighed.

"This isn't the first time this has happened." He declared. "For a while now, Father's been trying to get me to find a dragoness for me to marry."

"I know. Lord Urobos told me and my parents about that."

"I figured as much..."

Elenar looked down at the rocky ground beneath her paws.

"I'm scared, Bane."

"Scared?" He asked. "Scared of what?"

"Although I've told both of our fathers that I'd marry you with my own consent, I'm only doing so to please my father Alexander."

"Why?"

"He hasn't said this, but I know for a fact that he thinks that marrying a Black dragon would be a far better idea than marrying a Purple one."

"Purple one?"

"Bergan."

"Bergan?" Bane repeated, astounded. "You were going to marry Bergan?"

"I was... before father found out. He disapproved, and threatened to disown me if I did so."

"Oh..."

"Father prefers you over Bergan, and wants me to marry you instead. Who know what he'll say if he were to find out I don't wish to."

Elenar's eyes filled with tears, and Bane became filled with pity.

_This.. this is just aweful. Elenar being forced into marriage in almost the same way as me._

Bane wrapped a wing around the dragoness, a smile forming on his face.

"Well, just to let you know, I would never want to do anything to hurt you, Elenar." He said warmly. "If you need help confronting your father about your own wishes, then I'd be there to support you."

"Thank you, Bane..." Elenar replied, "But I'm not entirely opposed to what Urobos said."

"What?" The Prince asked incredulously.

"Your father said that ours would be a marriage of convenience. It would show the Dark dragon race that we can stay unified as one, especially in times when fate would try to fragment us. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I... guess so..." Bane said, groaning. "Elenar, I don't mean to try to do you harm, but I'm just not ready for marriage."

"But..."

"Don't get me wrong: You're one of my best friends, and I care for you in that regard. It's just that: Getting married a big step for me emotionally wise. Plus, I haven't seen you in years: It feels weird to suddenly have to marry someone I haven't been with since this bloody war got started."

"Can't you at least give me a chance, Bane?" Elenar pleaded.

"What do you mean?" The Black dragon queried.

"Well... Our marriage wouldn't happen until the new haven for the Dark dragons is completed, and that may take as long as a year, maybe even longer. During that time, we could court each other, and do our best to get to know each other better. Maybe, by the time the haven is completed, we'll both be ready."

Bane sat in thought for a minute.

"Hmm... I'm not entirely sure..."

"Please, Bane?" Elenar begged, tears forming in her eyes again.

Eventually, the Prince sighed once again.

"Alright." He declared. "I'll do it... for you."

The Princess reached over and hugged Bane, catching the Black dragon off-guard.

"Thank you."

The Prince felt uneasy at first, but decided to accept the hug, smiling slightly.

"Your welcome."

Unbeknownst to the two Royals, the dragoness Nerona was watching from afar. A sneer was plastered upon the Pain dragoness's face.

_You obnoxious tramp. Always stealing all the important men in my life._

Nerona turned around to fly back down to the Palace.

_Just you wait until Bergan hears about this._

...

**Greetings, friends and loved ones.**

**I'd like to apologize for taking forever to update this chapter. Truth of the matter is: A while back, Dardarax suggested that I should wait a while before updating my chapters instead of updating once a day. And quite frankly, I'm starting to see why.**

**During my first time through, I was rushing to get a good chapter up once a day, since I hated it when other people took forever to do so with **_**their**_** stories. But then again, this resulted in my chapters being short, filled with grammar errors, and with entire scenes missing. With FINAL MIX, I've decided to take my time to write, and boy is it paying off in the end. I'm trying to go for a new average: 8000 words a chapter, with some chapters being slightly longer.**

**Well, let's just hope it doesn't take me as long to update my next chapter. Until then, I bid you adieu.**

**Tenebra ecce Veritas.**


	28. Act 1, Chapter 8 FM

Act 1, Chapter 8

The present day…

It was the next morning in the city of Warfang. Rune slowly woke from slumber and sat up. After stretching his back for a short time, he stepped onto the floor and approached his dresser.

"Another boring day begins." He said through a yawn.

The Prince picked up his satchel from the side of the dresser and proceeded to hang it around himself.

_**Your life certainly HAS become a dull one, hasn't it?**_

Rune sighed in contempt.

"Go away."

_**What? I'm just pointing out the fact that your life has lost its thrill. You haven't done anything fun or exciting since the whole "Malefor" ordeal.**_

"I don't need excitement like **that**", Rune snapped.

_**That's a shame. I enjoyed myself back then.**_

"You didn't EXIST back then."

_**Yes I did, and you know it.**_

Rune ignored his other self and walked towards his doorway. As he opened the door, he noticed two Cheetah guards standing at attention on either side of it. When they saw the Prince, they saluted him immediately.

"Good morning, your Highness." One of them greeted.

"Uh, hi..." Rune replied awkwardly.

The Prince shut the door behind himself and made to walk down the East hallway, the guards saluting him once again. The young dragon sighed.

_**Something wrong?**_

_I can't stand being treated with such respect all the time._

_**That makes two of us,**_ Runefor stated.

_What?_

_**Yeah. Everyone in this temple wastes their praise on a complete pussy.**_

Rune growled.

_Where do you get off saying that?_

_**I can say whatever I want.**_

The black dragon grunted in irritation, but said nothing else. Instead, he continued walking along his way.

...

As the morning sun rose off in the east, most of the merchants in the caravan of traders woke up and got to work.

Tyrrany had been curled up in a ball on her side of her couch during the night, snoring quietly. Johnathan, Flame and Arthur had fallen suit, with the former sleeping on the floor, and the dragonfly sleeping on the red dragon's snout. All of the teenagers were sleeping peacfully, though the dragonfly's snores were the loudest.

Bergan had not fallen asleep: instead, the purple dragon had spent most of the early morning hours going over the contents of a small scroll.

When the sun began to rise, the purple drake shook the teenagers awake.

"Wake up, younglings." He commanded. "A new day has arrived."

Tyrrany awoke and quickly got onto her feat, shaking slumber from her eyes. Johnathan, Flame and Arthur took their time to get ready.

"What shall I do today, father?" The dragoness asked.

"Today, you are to explore the streets of Warfang." Bergan answered. "You have not come here very often, and it would be best if you learn the city's layout."

"As you wish, father."

"However, I want you to avoid venturing too close to the temple." The purple drake added.

"What?" Tyrrany exclaimed. "Why, father?"

"We are not ready to enact your vengeance just yet: we must think and plan first, as well as keep an eye out for a golden opportunity or two. Is that understood?"

The dragoness sighed. "Yes father."

"Good. Now then... Flamaedelus and Arthur, you two are to be Tyrrany's bodyguards."

"Yes sir." They said in unison.

"Uh, what about me?" Johnathan asked nervously.

"Johnathan, you are to take a handful of your _friends_ and join my daughter. However, you are to follow from far behind: We mustn't make it appear that a gang of hooligans is lerking about. Any attention is too much attention."

"Um, as you wish, sir." The earth dragon replied.

Tyrrany spent about a half an hour putting on her disguise, with Arthur and Flame helping her. Once she was ready, she and the other teenagers left the carriage, leaving Bergan alone.

The purple drake grinned as he began channeling magic.

"There's much to be done today."

...

In truth, Rune's days in Warfang had become routine.

Every day, he would meet up with his brother Cyrus and get something to eat in the temple cafeteria. A lot of young dragons attended school at the temple during this time: It was sort of amusing to see the many other dragons' reactions to seeing two black dragons walking among them. Rune always tried to blend in with the crowd of regular students as he went to the cafeteria. But Cyrus usually acted tough around the regular students, trying to seem more "cool" than he really was. It didn't help that he kind of looked like a girl; he had been called "Princess Cyrus" on more than one occasion. There was even a time when one of the male students actually asked Cyrus out on a date. Cyrus responded by punching the guy in the face. Rune laughed about the scenario for an entire week.

After getting breakfast, the princes would go to their private lessons. First, they would have Magic Training with Wraith. Wraith would test the black dragons in each of the twelve elements. Both princes had finally started learning the six elements that they couldn't use when they were younger: They each now held all twelve elements. However, each prince was still better skilled in the elements he always had than the ones he started learning: for instance, Rune could only do the most basic of Wind spells, and Cyrus could only do so much with Fire magic.

"Well, at least you boys can control all of the elements now." Wraith said, trying to be supportive. "You'll get better at it eventually. Baby steps, boys, baby steps."

After magic training, the princes would go to their private Physical Combat training. Their Combat tutor was Grail. The one-eyed dragon had seen countless battles in the past, and despite being in his early-fifties, he was still quite a formidable dragon. He was a Deep Shadow for a reason.

Grail would train the princes by having them perform a variety of ground and aerial attacks and maneuvers against a wide variety of foes, all without using any magic. Grail's favorite tactic was using his Dark energy to summon a group of screecher for the princes to fight individually. Rune found the training exercises easier to do than Cyrus found them. Unlike Wraith, who always tried to go easy on the young dragons when necessary, Grail was a real hardass. Whenever one of the princes failed at an attack pattern, he would be pretty harsh.

"Is that the best a black dragon can do?"

"If this was an actual battle, you would be dead three times over!"

"You are a son of the True Dark Master! Start proving it!"

This would have been bad enough on its own. But, Runefor liked to say even _harsher_ insults whenever Rune failed at a combat maneuver.

_**What a pathetic little twit, you are.**_

_**All you're doing is proving that I'm superior to you.**_

_**How can you not do THAT simple feat? What is wrong with you?**_

_Shut up! _Rune would often shout in his mind.

Sometimes, Grail would punish a failure by making **both** princes do a physical exercise, regardless of who messed up. And since Cyrus wasn't as physically adept as Rune, that didn't bode well.

Once their Physical combat training was finally over, Rune and Cyrus would go bathe for a while. Dragons didn't sweat, but they could still feel exhausted. Once they were rejuvenated, the princes would return to the cafeteria for lunch. After that, they were free to do whatever they wished for the rest of the day.

After the day's routine was over, and Rune had finished eating, he didn't know what to do with the rest of the day. So, on a whim, he decided to wander the Temple grounds, seeing who or what he'd run into.

"I'm going to head for The Nexus." Cyrus said.

"Why?" Rune asked.

"To meet up with Tina, duh!"

"I don't know why you keep trying to impress her, Cy." Rune said "She prefers boys."

"What do you mean by…" Cyrus began to ask. When he saw the grin on Rune's face, he glared at him. "Hey!"

Rune started laughing.

"Jackass." The shorter drake sneered.

With that, Cyrus left for The Nexus, while Rune started wandering through the temple.

After wandering for a while, he stumbled upon Albanion, who was heading out of the temple.

"Where are you going, Albanion?" the young black dragon asked.

"I have just recently learned that a caravan of traders arrived late last night from Faeshrine" The dark grey Deep Shadow answered. "I am going to see what interesting items I might find."

"Can I come with you?" Rune asked. Albanion raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you wish to come along, your highness?"

"Well, I thought it'd be nice if I bought a gift for Nellie." The prince answered. "The Day of the Bonds is coming up."

Albanion seemed to think it over for a minute, and then sighed.

"Very well. You may accompany me."

"Thanks, Albanion."

And with that, The Deep Shadow and the Prince left for the location of the caravan.

...

Cyrus flew up to The Nexus quick as a flash. He came to a stop in front of the chapel, watching all of the young dark dragons head about their way. Some were born naturally, while others were Light dragons who were transformed by Bane's spell.

Three prime examples were Tina and her parents, Aegis and Lilith. Tina's parents were the Deep Shadows who were responsible for teaching the dark dragon cubs how to control their developing control over Dark energy.

Cyrus found Tina in the chapel, talking her father.

"..like I said before, Tina", Aegis was saying, "You should talk to your mother about it. She can explain it better."

"Okay, Dad." Tina said, hugging the dark brown dragon. As Cyrus approached, Aegis spoke to him without looking at him.

"Ah, prince Cyrus. I thought I sensed you come in." He said. Aegis was a dark Memory dragon, which enabled him to sense the magical energy of the beings around him.

"Hi, Aegis." Cyrus greeted. Tina turned towards him.

"Hi, runt!" She said, grinning.

"I suppose you two will be off to disturb the peace again." Aegis said. Cyrus could never tell if Aegis was trying to be funny or not.

"We're not going to get into trouble, Dad." Tina said. Aegis rolled his eyes.

"Of course you will. You always do."

"Well, then we'll just try not to get into _too much_ trouble!" Tina said, grinning. Aegis sighed.

"Fine. Just don't get hurt." Tina turned around and walked up to Cyrus.

"Hey, Rune! I'll race ya!" She shouted. She then took off running out of the chapel, shoving Cyrus over in the process.

"Hey! No fair!" Cyrus yelled, getting onto his feet to catch up. As the two young dragons raced off, Aegis shook his head.

"Children."

...

After Bergan woke her up in the morning, Tyrrany picked up her belongings and ventured off to explore the city. Flame and Arthur followed close behind her. She spent the better part of the day wandering through the many streets of Warfang, doing her best to become familiar with the network of blocks, buildings, and alleyways of the ancient city. The disguised dragoness made sure that nobody saw her. Flame, however, could walk around all he wanted, because he looked like a normal dragon. And nobody really cared about seeing a dragonfly in Warfang, so Arthur was free to be seen as well.

Tyrrany wasn't exactly sure why wandering all around Warfang was necessary: Her primary objective was finding a way to sneak into the Warfang Temple without getting seen by the citizens. But, if her father wanted her to do this, than there had to be a good reason for it.

When it became the start of the afternoon, Tyrrany came to rest in one of the city's many back allies. She lied on her back, looking up at the giant black fortress floating above the city. Flame and Arthur came to a stop in the alley as well.

"I wonder how much longer we're supposed to do this?" Flame said.

"Beats me." Arthur replied, shrugging.

"We're supposed to be getting used to the city's layout." Tyrrany announced. "Perhaps father believed I needed one last training exercise before I got my revenge on mother."

"Right…" Flame said. He took a deep breath.

"Say, Anny…."

"What?"

"Why don't you and I….Oh, I don't know…" He had gotten nervous. "..Why don't we just go have some fun somewhere?"

"Excuse me?" Tyrrany asked, annoyed.

"C'mon. Let's go find a park or a museum or something! Just you and me!"

Arthur scoffed.

"What, you want to just ditch me?"

"I didn't mean it like _that_, Artie."

"It doesn't matter either way." Tyrrany said coldly. "I'm not going to just abandon my objective."

"But Anny…"

"I said NO, Flame!" Tyrrany bellowed. "Just give up!"

Flame sighed in defeat, and stayed silent afterwards. Arthur did so as well.

When Tyrrany had gotten enough rest, she started getting off of her back. But then, she spotted something in the sky. Two dragonesses suddenly flew directly downwards from The Nexus, and started flying over the streets of Warfang. The first dragoness was dark yellow. Nothing important. But the second dragoness was much more surprising. Her hide was black.

"A black dragon!" Tyrrany shouted in shock. She immediately jumped onto her feet.

"What?" Flame shouted. "Where?"

"There!" the disguised dragoness exclaimed, pointing at it as it flew by. Tyrrany immediately started chasing after the two dragonesses as they flew off

"Where're you going?" Arthur called after her.

"I've got to see her up close!" she shouted back to them. "Hurry up, you idiots!"

Flame and Arthur exchanged glances.

"Let's go!" Flame shouted, rushing off to catch up to Tyrrany.

"Hey, wait up!" Arthur called to them. He sighed, chasing off after the dragons.

...

The caravan of traders was surprisingly large and varied. Wagons and carriages were lined up all up and down the slanted street. A great number of moles, felines, and other races had set up shops allover, showing their goods to the many citizens who came to see what goods were being sold.

Albanion and Rune had spent the better part of an hour wandering up and down the various wagons, looking through the many goods up for sale.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Rune asked.

"I am looking for something to give to Elza as a gift for her upcoming hatchday." Albanion responded.

"Oh, really? How old is she going to be?"

"If you are wise, your highness, you will never ask a woman that question."

Rune smirked. It wasn't often that Albanion tried a paw at humor.

The two dragons continued looking through the caravan wagons, until they came close to the end of the caravan. The road continued on its downward slant after the last wagon. Rune reached into his satchel and retrieved a handful of gold coins: a small part of the money that his mother made available to him.

"I didn't see a single thing Nellie would like here." He said glumly.

"Just because you have wealth, doesn't mean you should spend it frivolously." The Deep Shadow told him.

"But I hardly spend money _ever_!" The prince protested. "This is a rare occasion for me."

"Fair enough." Albanion said. The Deep Shadow turned around and started walking back the way he came. "I am going to double back, just incase I see an item that I didn't see the first time. Do you wish to come along, your highness?"

Rune shook his head. "No, I'll just go down this way."

"Very well. I'll see you later, prince Rune."

Albanion started walking up the street, while Rune continued downhill. As he walked, he put most of his gold coins away, except for one. On a whim, he started flicking it into the air and catching it.

_**Why are you wasting your time? **_Runefor asked, annoyed. _**There are so many more productive things you could be doing.**_

_I don't remember asking you! _Rune shouted in his mind.

After catching the gold coin successfully for a few minutes, he accidentally dropped the coin, and it started heading down the hill.

"Oops!" He shouted, chasing after the coin.

_**Idiot.**_

As Rune chased after the coin, something strange happened. He started getting a headache. It was only faint and mild, at first. But then, it started hurting more, and **more**. After a moment, the pain was unbearable. Rune grabbed his head, groaning in pain.

_What are you doing, Runefor? _He demanded.

_**This isn't my doing! I feel it too! **_He shouted. _**Gah! This is unbearable!**_

_Do you think I'll fall for that?_

_**I'm telling the truth!**_

As the two started writhing in agony, Rune fell to the ground in the middle of the street, unable to get back up.

Meanwhile, just up the hill, the brakes on the last Wagon of the caravan suddenly switched off. And then, it suddenly started moving, as if some unknown force shoved it. The wagon started rolling down the hill out of control.

When citizens started shouting in horror, Albanion turned his head, confused.

"Hmm? What's all this abou-?" When the Deep Shadow saw what the others saw, his mouth dropped open in horror.

The wagon was darting right down the hill, with Rune right in it's path, on the ground.

The Deep Shadow immediately sprang into action. He jumped into flight, chasing after the wagon in hopes of catching up to stop it. However, the wagon was faster, and was nearly upon Rune.

"NO!" Albanion screamed. Try as he might, he couldn't catch up in time. The wagon was inches away from Rune…

…And then, it continued on its way down the street, crashing at the bottom. There were no sounds or signs of Rune getting run over. Instead, Rune had somehow been moved safely onto the sidewalk just a fraction of a second before he was run over. An adult purple dragon was standing next to him.

Albanion was incredulous.

"What in The Great Shadow's name just happened?" He exclaimed.

Rune got up from the sidewalk and onto his feet, confused. He looked up at the dragon that must have saved him somehow.

The purple dragon had three orange horns, two of which were ram-like in shape. He had a brown mane and beard, blue eyes, and a green underbelly. He was wearing a big, black cloak over his back. He also had black stockings on his front legs. He seemed to be grinning at the young dragon. Meanwhile, Moles and Cheetahs ran down the street to assess the damage done to the Wagon and the building it crashed into.

"I must say, _that_ would have been very, very messy." The dragon said, smiling. "Feeling better now, young dragon?"

"Uh, yeah…" Rune answered. "Thank, Mr…uh.."

The purple dragon laughed.

"Just call me Benjamin, young dragon."

"Your highness!" Albanion shouted hysterically, rushing up to them. "All you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Albanion." Rune answered. "This dragon saved me, I think."

"Of course I did." Benjamin said happily. "I was just walking up the street towards my Wagon, enjoying the day, when I saw the boy suddenly fall to the ground. When the wagon suddenly lost control, I used my Time magic to swoop in and snatch him away from the wagon's path." Albanion cocked an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" the Deep Shadow asked. The purple dragon grinned.

"My name is Benjamin. I am one of the traders who came with the caravan. And if I were to wager a guess, I'd say that _you_.." He pointed to the grey dragon, "..were Albanion, leader of the Deep Shadows, and _you_.." He pointed to the black dragon, "..were Rune, the prince of Warfang."

"How do you know that?" Rune asked, amazed.

"Well, I should think it's obvious to all that you're one of the princes" Benjamin shrugged, "What with the back hide and shining blue birthmarks and all."

"Ah, right…" Rune said, feeling stupid. Albanion looked at Benjamin skeptically.

"Why haven't I seen you around the caravan today?" the Deep Shadow asked.

"Why, that's because I've had another matter to attend to today. You two are more than welcome to follow me to my shop, if you'd like."

"It sounds good to me." Rune said. "How about you, Albanion?"

"Hmm…." Albanion was in his trademark deep thought again. "Fine, I will go. And thank you for rescuing his highness. I am in your debt."

Benjamin laughed.

"Oh, not at all!" He walked forwards, past the two other dragons and heading up the street. "Follow me, gentlemen!"

Rune and Albanion did as he said. For a few minutes, Benjamin led the prince and Deep Shadow up the street, passing by most of the wagons and carriages. Eventually, however, he stopped at a carriage that was slightly larger than the other ones.

"Before we step inside.." Benjamin turned to face Rune, and produced a gold coin. "…I believe you dropped this, your highness."

"Oh!" Rune exclaimed, taking the coin. "Thanks, Benjamin!" Albanion nodded his head.

"You wouldn't have missed that coin, your highness." He scolded.

"True, he wouldn't have needed it", Benjamin said. "Returning it just seemed right to me. But enough dallying! You are customers, after all!"

Benjamin produced a key and used it to unlock the door to the Carriage.

"Step right in, gentlemen!" Rune and Albanion followed Benjamin inside.

The inside wasn't what Rune expected to see. The first thing he saw was a large table in the center of the carriage, with a few small cushions scattered around it. The next thing he saw was a massive amount of shelves lining the walls. A massive variety of trinkets, vials, tomes, and other odd objects were lined up allover the place. An odd box sat on a shelf on the far side of the room.

"What kind of shop _is_ this?" Rune asked. Benjamin walked around the table and sat down at the far end of it.

"Why, it's a magic shop!" Benjamin answered, smiling. "I'm a Magician, you see. I create objects that have magical effects, without relying on the user's own magical energy. Have a look; you may find something you like!"

Rune and Albanion spent a good ten minutes looking at the bizarre objects Benjamin had to sell. Most of the items didn't catch interest, although one of the tomes entitled "The Fundamentals of Darkness and Light" in ancient draconic looked appealing.

"I don't think you'd be able to read that", Benjamin said. "That book is older than your grandfather's grandfather."

Albanion looked over the jewelry that Benjamin had for sale. The magician cocked an eyebrow.

"Spotted something appealing, eh, Albanion?" he asked. "It makes me wonder what a Deep Shadow would want with jewelry in the first place."

"I am looking for something as a gift for my wife." Albanion answered. "I want the gift to match her in beauty and elegance."

"Ah, aren't _we_ the romantic?" Benjamin chuckled. Albanion grunted. The magician turned to face Rune. "What about you, your highness? Is there a special female in _your_ life as well?"

"Actually, yes, there it!" the prince answered. "I'm going to be seeing her again in a few days."

"Why not get this girl something that shows her how much you love her?" Benjamin asked.

"Well, do you have anything that was finely made?"

The purple drake ran a paw through his beard. "Hmm, I believe I have just the thing! For both of you!"

Benjamin turned and picked up the box off the shelf behind him and started rifling through it.

"I keep all of my most valuable, one of a kind items in this box right here!" After a minute, Benjamin pulled out two pieces of jewelry. The first one was a large White Gem that was hung on a golden chain. The other bit of jewelry was a finely crafter Jade necklace. The Magician handed the former to Albanion and the latter to Rune.

Benjamin spoke to Albanion first.

"What you have there, my friend, is a rare Serenity Gem. By presenting this to your significant other, you are telling her that she is of a shining beacon of grace and Elegance, that will shine brightly for the rest of time. I'll sell it to you for thirty pieces of gold, a fraction of the cost you'd pay elsewhere."

Albanion looked at the gem for a moment, and then decided.

"I'll take it." The Deep Shadow produced the amount of gold specified, and the Gem was his. The Magician then turned to face Rune.

"That right there is a one of a kind Jade necklace, handcrafted over the course of three years by Master Earth dragon artisans."

"How much?" Rune asked. Benjamin grinned.

"Well, since you are the prince, and I saved you from horrible injuries, I'll sell it for… ten pieces of gold!"

"It's a deal!" The prince exclaimed. He produced ten pieces of Gold, and the necklace was his. "Nellie's going to love this!" He said.

"Oh, so your special little lady is named Nellie!" Benjamin grinned.

"We need to be going, your highness." Albanion said, getting up. "It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Benjamin."

Rune got up as well. "Yeah, thanks for the great stuff! And for saving me!"

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, gentlemen!" Benjamin replied. Rune and Albanion shook Benjamin by the hand and left the carriage.

"Have a good day, gentlemen!" Benjamin called to them as they left.

For a moment, "Benjamin" waited in silence, until he was sure the two dragons had left. He began grinning malevolently as his features changed colors, returning to his real form.

"Two more pawns have joined the the game." Bergan said, getting up. "And now, I wait for the dragonesses to receive their 'gifts'."


	29. Act 1, Chapter 9 FM

Act 1, Chapter 9

Tina and Cyrus flew to the northern part of Warfang, just flying around having a good time. The whole time, Cyrus tried to show off by using his wind element to boost this speed. He then flew all around in the air in front of the dark yellow dragoness, pulling off he usual batch of aerial spins, flips, and other such nonsense.

"Pretty cool, huh, Tina?" He boasted, grinning. Tina just looked at him. She raised an eyebrow, and her eyes glowed white. Suddenly, Cyrus came to a complete stop in midair, and couldn't move forwards.

"Hey, what the-?"

Cyrus tried all that he could to move, but he could only wiggle his limbs around. Tina started laughing. She was using her telekinesis to hold the black dragon in place in the air.

"Let me go, Tina!" He demanded. She smirked.

"Say uncle, Runt!" She exclaimed.

"What? No way!"

"Say uncle!"

After wiggling around for a moment, Cyrus finally gave up.

"Okay, uncle!" He shouted.

Immediately, Cyrus fell a short distance, but then righted himself. The dark yellow dragoness burst into laughter.

"I am _so_ getting back at you for that!" He yelled, charging towards Tina. The dragoness turned and flew away, still laughing. Cyrus couldn't help but start laughing too. The two dragons flew to a small, unpopulated part in the Northwestern part of Warfang. They were being followed…

…

Down in the streets of Warfang, Tyrrany chased after the two dragonesses in hot pursuit. At one point, the two dragonesses did stopped in the air and proceeded to behave in an odd manner. Tyrrany couldn't fathom what would make the two behave in such a way. But that wasn't important. She continued following the two dragonesses, seeing where they might lead her.

Flame and Arthur struggled to keep up with Tyrrany in her pursuit.

"Anny, wait up!" Flame shouted, breathing heavily.

"You need to slow down, girl!" Arthur added, flying near the red dragon.

"I can't let the black dragoness get away!" Tyrrany called back to him. "Pick up the pace!"

Flame and Arthur sighed.

The trio continued their chase, following the two airborne dragonesses across the city. Eventually, the two flew down to the ground, landing in an unpopulated park in the northwestern part of Warfang. Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur entered the park, hiding behind a patch of the trees to spy on the two dragonesses. The dark yellow dragoness had their back to the trio, while the black one was hidden from view.

It wasn't long before a voice called to them from behind.

"Hey!"

Upon turning around, Flame and Arthur spotted Johnathan approaching.

The earth dragon was followed by a golden Time drake and a brown Memory drake, both of whom were dressed in rags and carried tattered pouches around their necks.

"Nice of you to show up." Arthur remarked.

"We would've been right behind if you didn't run out of view so fast." Johnathan snapped.

"Shush." Tyrrany sneered. "You'll blow our cover."

"What are you doing?" The earth dragon demanded.

"We've run into a black dragon and her friend." Flame answered. "Anny felt like tailing them."

"A black dragon?" Johnathan repeated, astounded.

"SHUT UP." Tyrrany snarled through gritted teeth. "You'll alert them to our presence."

Without another word, the white dragoness resumed watching the two in the immediate clearing.

The two dragonesses just talked to each other as they sat down on the grass, overlooking a nearby pond.

"You're too slow, Cyrus!" The yellow dragoness chuckled.

"You're just lucky that I ran low on magical energy!" Her companion snapped, breathing heavily.

Flame had to struggle to keep from bursting into laughter.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked the red dragon.

"The black dragon's a GUY." He said, still fighting back laughter.

"Say what?" Johnathan asked incredulously

"Didn't you hear him speak? It's a guy!"

Finally, Flame gave in and started laughing to himself. Arthur, Johnathan and the two thugs were about to start laughing too, but Tyrrany growled at them.

"Put an end to it." She commanded. "You'll give us away."

Immediately, the others shut up, and Tyrrany resumed watching the two dragons from behind the trees. As they started walking around a little, Tyrrany finally got a good look at the black dragon. She gasped.

The black dragon was a male, despite having a body similar to a female's. He had four silver horns; two large ones that curled backwards on his head, and two more smaller horns behind his jaw that curled under and forwards, similar to Tyrrany's. He had bluish-green eyes, with a radiant look in them. He had four red birthmarks on him. Two of them were on his front upper legs, in a shape she didn't recognize. But the birthmarks on his sides were immediately recognizable. They were in the shape of two number 8's, combined together at the center. They were the same as Tyrrany's birthmarks.

There was no mistaking it: The black dragon was a child of Elenar.

The disguised dragoness began to growl in anger. For the longest time, Tyrrany knew that Elenar abandoned her and left her father Bergan to run off with a dark dragon. But now, she finds out that her mother ran off with a **Black** dragon, the most cherished of breeds. Elenar even had a child with the black dragon. Tyrrany wasn't just abandoned: She was replaced.

Tyrrany shook with rage. Flame looked at her, concern on his face.

"Anny, are you okay?" He asked.

"She replaced us." Tyrrany said, gripping the ground between her talons.

"What?" Arthur asked, confused.

"Mother replaced my father and I!" She snarled. "And not with just _any_ dragons: Black dragons!"

Tyrrany glared at the dragon that was her half-brother, fire in her eyes.

"I'll kill him!"

Immediately, the dragoness burst out from her hiding spot, roaring.

"Anny, no!" Flame shouted. But it was too late.

…

Cyrus and Tina heard a loud roaring coming from behind them.

"Huh?" Cyrus asked.

The two dragons turned around, and were surprised to see a strange young dragoness charging towards Cyrus, her face filled with rage. She was dressed in a strange black outfit that covered most of her body. She wore a hood over part of her head, which pockets for her horns. From what Cyrus could tell, her hide was purple.

Cyrus dodged to his right just as the dragoness came rushing up to him, trying to tackle him. The black dragon then tucked and rolled onto his feet to face his attacker. Tina started growling at her.

"Who the fuck are you?" Cyrus demanded. The strange dragoness stood in a fighting stance, as if ready to lunge at any moment. Seeing her standing relatively still, Cyrus could tell she was older and bigger than him.

The dragoness looked directly at Cyrus.

"You must think you're _soooo_ important, don't you?" She snarled. Cyrus cocked an eye ridge.

"Well, I **am** a Black dragon!" He said, smirking.

"SHUT UP!" the attacker snarled. In an instant, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, to Cyrus's amazement.

"What the-?"

The dragoness reappeared directly above Cyrus, falling downwards to grab for the black dragon. Instinctively, Cyrus activated his Time Element, changing the world to a bluish tint. The young dragon casually stepped out of the way as the attacker gently fell to the ground.

When time returned to normal, the dragoness crashed into the ground. Tina laughed at the sight.

"You missed." Cyrus said, smirking. The dragoness snarled.

"Damn you!" She bellowed.

She proceeded to use her Space element multiple times, trying her best to attack Cyrus. Each time, the black dragon would use Time Magic to step out of the way.

"WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT LIKE A MAN?" She roared.

"My mom says I'm not supposed to fight girls." He said.

"Even though you look like one?" Tina asked.

"You're not helping, Tina."

The disguised dragoness roared in anger, continuing her pattern of teleporting, while Cyrus continuously used Time magic to avoid her. This only succeeded to make her angrier.

As Tyrrany continued to try and attack the Black dragon, Flame and Arthur stepped around the trees and walked towards them, though they kept their distance.

"Should we help her?" Flame asked the dragonfly.

"Well, our job _is_ to prevent her from getting hurt." Arthur stated. "However, the black dragon isn't fighting back, for some reason. And the dark yellow dragoness isn't fighting either."

"I guess we'll just stand on the sidelines until They start attacking her."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. But it looks like Johnny's got other plans."

Johnathan and his thugs chose to walk off to the left, staying out of sight. They proceeded to circle around so that they were directly behind the fighting dragons, hidden in the bushes.

Flame and Arthur watched the Tyrrany and the black drake teleport and jump all across the park. The red dragon sighed.

"I hate when she seeing her like this."

Eventually, Cyrus's magical energy started running out. His time freezing bursts started getting shorter and shorter, until he could only freeze time for a few seconds at a time. Tina took note of this.

When Cyrus's energy finally ran out, the dragoness was finally able to teleport close to Cyrus and slash him across the back. The black dragon hit the ground, bleeding.

"What do you want from me, anyway?" He demanded.

"I want you dead!" She snarled.

"WHY?" He asked. "What did I ever do to **you**?"

The dragoness didn't answer. Instead, she opened her mouth and struck the downed dragon with lightning breath. At the sight of this, Tina immediately charged at the dragoness, slashing her back and knocking her over.

"That's our queue!" Flame shouted, running forwards. Arthur charged forwards as well.

After Tyrrany fell onto the ground, Tina helped Cyrus onto his feet. She handed him a red crystal from her satchel.

"You alright, Cy?" Tina asked

"I am now" Cyrus answered, grinning. As Cyrus drew energy from the gem, he and Tina turned to face Tyrrany, ready to fight back.

At that moment, Tyrrany got back onto her feet, resuming her battle stance. At that moment, Flame and Arthur ran up and stopped just behind her. At the same time, Johnathan charged out of the bushes, followed by his thugs.

"Stop right where you are!" Johnathan shouted to the two in the center, a knife in his right forepaw. The thugs spread out to cover more ground.

"Oh great! There's more!" Cyrus sneered in annoyance.

"Who are you people?" Tina demanded.

"It doesn't matter who we are." The earth drake snapped. "What matters is that the black drake ain't leaving alive."

Tina got on her guard, snarling. Tyrrany snarled as well.

"Leave, and we won't kill you!" She snarled at Tina.

"NO!" she snapped. "I don't know what your deal is, but nobody messes with Cyrus but **ME**!"

"You don't know who _you're_ messing with!" Tyrrany roared.

Tina spun around. She was about to lunge forwards at the clothed drake. However, Flame stepped in front of Tyrrany, blocking her from the other dragoness.

"We can't let you lay a paw on Anny." He said.

"Our boss would kill us." Arthur added.

"That's a shame!" Cyrus yelled. "But your friend here picked a fight, and now _we're_ going to finish it! How's about I take **you** on, red?"

"Fine." Flame responded.

"I don't need your help!" Tyrrany yelled at her friends. "I can take them both myself!"

"I know, but we're supposed to aid you, Anny!" Flame said to her.

"Oh! Got the _hots_ for your friend there, red?" Cyrus chided. Flame glared at the black dragon.

"Shut up!"

"Oh, did I make get you all _fired_ up?" Cyrus smirked.

"I said, SHUT UP!" Flame bellowed, snarling.

"Make me!" Cyrus stuck his tongue at him.

During that conversation, Tina turned to face

Flame shot fire breath at Cyrus, who rolled to the side to dodge out of the way. He jumped back a few yards. The black dragon then motioned with a paw for the red dragon to come forwards, whistling at him. Flame untied his cloak, letting it fall onto the grass, and then ran forwards to attack him, while Tina lunged at Tyrrany, who began to fight back.

As all this happened, Johnathan glanced between his two thugs.

"Keep a lookout for me." He ordered. "I'm going in to help Flame."

"Gotcha J." They said together.

The earth drake charged forwards, a confident grin on his face. However, that grin soon turned into a grimace.

_I hope I can do this._

…

On one side of the park, Flame did everything he could to hit Cyrus with his Fire breath attack.

"You must think you're real hot stuff, huh?" Cyrus smirked.

"Stop making those stupid puns already!" Flame demanded.

"Wow! You're white hot with anger!"

Flame snarled. He opened his mouth and released the biggest blast of fire that he could. A giant burst of flames flew towards Cyrus. The black dragon responded by unleashing a blast of Wind breath from his mouth. The wind forced Flame's fire backwards, blowing it across the red dragon's face. Flame fell backwards in recoil.

Cyrus started laughing at the red drake's misfortune.

"What's the matter, red? If you can't take the heat, stay out of the-!"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain pierced his left wing membrane, causing him to cry out.

"Learn to watch your back, blackie!"

Cyrus turned his head to see Johnathan standing behind him, with a knife stabbing through his wing. Blood pooled around the wound, and his wing was aflame with a burning sensation. The black dragon snarled.

Cyrus attacked Johnathan with a sonic blast. The earth drake tried to cover his ear frills, but was slightly struck. While he was distracted, the black dragon backed up to try and examine his wound. As he was pulling the knife out with his teeth, he bumped into Flame, who had recovered from the previous failed attack.

"You're dead meat!" Flame growled.

"Damnit." Cyrus grimaced. He spat the knife onto the ground and used his pain element to null the sting in his wing. He then tuck-and-rolled to evade an oncoming fireball.

Meanwhile, Tyrrany assaulted Tina with a barrage of earth blasts: She believed the mustard-colored girl to be a lightning dragoness. After dodging around the other girl's attacks, Tina used her psychic magic to levitate herself into the air. Tyrrany snarled in anger.

"Coward!" She bellowed

"What's wrong?" Tina goaded. "Can't fly in that getup?"

Tyrrany proceeded to attack from the ground with a barrage of ice breath, hoping to freeze her opponent. Tina flew around in the air, dodging Tyrrany's attacks. The dark yellow dragoness then swooped around Tyrrany and slashed at her back before she could get out of the way. She scratched the scales underneath Tyrrany's cloak, but the cloak itself remained unharmed. It must have been protected with wards, similar to the robes worn by the deep shadows.

Tyrrany roared in anger.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" She screamed.

Tyrrany decided on a more unpredictable tactic. She started attacking Tina with multiple elements: She constantly switched between fire, earth, ice, wind and sound. Tina had to constantly move to avoid getting hit.

At the same time, Cyrus was dodging away from Flame and Johnathan, who were ganging up on him with their respective elements. The black drake noticed Tyrrany's attacks, and was amazed.

"That's not possible!" He exclaimed. "How does a purple dragon have _more_ than four elements?"

"That's none of your business!" Johnathan snapped, lunging at him with his knife while Flame charged with a claw swipe. He and Flame had run out of magical energy, so they resorted to physical combat.

Cyrus had waited for this all along. When the two got close, Cyrus activated his Time magic yet again. As Flame and Johnathan were frozen in time, Cyrus walked up to him, preparing his coup de grace.

"This is going to hurt in a minute." Cyrus said, smirking.

He stabbed Flame's shoulder, unleashing a small amount of his pain element into the red dragon's body. Cyrus then followed this up by doing the same to Johnathan. When time returned to normal, the duo immediately fell to the ground, twitching in pain.

"What did you do?" Flame groaned, struggling to regain control of himself.

Cyrus only grinned. Johnathan tried to get up to attack again, but Cyrus countered by striking the green dragon with more of the pain element. Johnathan was rendered unable to fight anymore. He just twitched on the ground in agony.

"That'll teach you not to mess with a black dragon!"

"You damn nightmare spawn!" Johnathan growled.

"You bastard!" One of the thugs shouted from behind.

Cyrus turned around to see both thugs charging across the way towards him. They leapt around Tina and Tyrrany, the latter still attacking with multiple elements at random, and still at full force. Tina, however, had gotten too tired to fly, and was now on the ground, struggling not to get hit.

Cyrus got back into a battle stance as the thugs came running, their bodies glowing from their elemental magic. He groaned

_I can't fight off those goons AND help out Tina!_ he thought to himself. _I'll have to move fast._ Shaking his head, he charged forwards.

Cyrus used his Time-slowing again to try and gain the upper hand. However, the gold-hided thug used his own Time magic to obtain the same effect. The two glared at each other as the whole world slowed around them.

For a brief moment, the two exchanged physical blows, each one trying to gain the upper hand. The thug made several slashes at Cyrus' wound, forcing him onto the defensive for a brief time. Luckily, a moment of opportunity arose when the thug's magic began to wear off and he slipped back into normal time. Cyrus charged forwards and delivered a barrage of blows on him, sending the thug flying backwards in slow-motion, landing in the nearby pond.

As the black drake's time magic wore off as well, he turned to face the other thug, a memory dragon. Once he was close enough, the brown dragon unleashed a torrent of psychic strikes upon Cyrus' mind. Cyrus recoiled into his mind, putting up a defensive shield around it. The prince held his ground as the thug came at him with a dagger.

As Cyrus was defending himself, the other thug got up from the water and came running back, angrier than ever. Cyrus retreated backwards as one thug tried to get behind him while the other tried to slash is face.

"Why're you pussying out, high-and-mighty black dragon?" The memory drake snickered.

Grimacing, Cyrus began charging up what little energy he could into his breath. When the thugs least suspected it, he let go of the guard on his mind right as he unleashed a mighty roar. He poured Sound magic into his breath to create a sonic wail in all directions.

The thugs grabbed their ear frills as the pain wracked their heads. Several nearby birds in the trees immediately fled the area in alarm. Flame, Arthur and Johnathan were just far enough away to avoid being harmed, but they still groaned.

With the problem finally dealt with , Cyrus ran over to aid Tina.

…

"Anny, look out!" Arthur shouted out..

Tyrrany instantly turned around to see the black dragon approaching from behind. She immediately assaulted Cyrus with the same assortment of random elemental attacks that she attacked Tina with. Cyrus used his earlier strategy and dodged away again. The disguised dragoness had completely forgotten about the dark yellow dragoness. Seeing an opening, Tina quietly snuck up on Tyrrany as the latter attacked Cyrus.

The black dragon spotted Tina, but didn't give her position away. Eventually, Tina got up to Tyrrany's left side and slashed the disguised dragon's back with her foretalons. Tyrrany roared in pain, turning to see what attacked her. Tina immediately continued her attack by swinging her front left paw hard to the right, punching Tyrrany across her face. Cyrus then combined his Time and Pain elements to instantly appear in front of Tyrrany, jabbing her in the middle of her chest, sending Pain magic throughout her body.

As Tyrrany writhed in pain, Cyrus and Tina panted heavily.

"We did it." Cyrus said.

"Yeah.." Tina added. The dragoness looked down at her front paws. Suddenly, she saw something odd: Purple goo was smeared allover her front left paw's palm.

"What the…?" She asked.

"Where did that come from?" Cyrus asked.

The two dragons both got the same idea. They looked down at Tyrrany's face: a large patch of her face was white in color. Tyrrany gasped, realizing what was happening.

"Get away from me…" She choked out.

Curious, Cyrus reached down and pulled back Tyrrany's hood. He and Tina jumped back in surprise.

Tyrrany was wearing purple makeup allover her face. The scales that came after that were White as snow. She had a pitch black mane. Her four silver horns were styled just like Cyrus's

Still curious, Cyrus pulled the dragoness's cloak back.

"No!" She protested. But it was in vain. Her white hide was revealed. It was a surprise for Tina and Cyrus. But the latter gasped in complete shock when he saw the red birthmark on Tyrrany's side. It was the same as the one on him.

"Who _are_ you?" Cyrus demanded. "_What_ are you?"

"Leave her alone!" Flame shouted. He was able to get back onto his feet. He ran forwards to the other dragons. "Arthur, you okay?"

The dragonfly was able to get back into the air now.

"We are so screwed." He said.

Flame pushed past Cyrus and Tina, helping Tyrrany get back up. He pulled her hood back over her head.

"You okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." Tyrrany said coldly. But it was a lie: Tyrrany still ached all over. She was in no condition to fight any longer.

Suddenly, the feint sound of clanging metal filled the air somewhere outside of the clearing. It steadily grew louder with every second.

"What the-?" Arthur asked.

"Soldiers!" Flame cried out.

"Soldiers?" Johnathan repeated.

The earth dragon tried to get up, but could barely move. The two thugs couldn't move very well either.

"This isn't over!" Tyrrany growled. She turned to flee from the clearing.

"Hold it right there!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Before the black drake could stop her, Tyrrany scooped up her cloak off the ground, grabbed hold of Flame and Arthur, and teleported away with them in tow.

Seconds later, a squadron of six feline soldiers and four dragon soldiers rushed into the area. They were led by Grail, who immediately stood before Cyrus and Tina.

"Grail?" Tina asked, confused.

"Your Highness, what's happened here?" The Deep Shadow demanded. "There was a loud commotion here a few moments ago."

"Well, uh…" Cyrus mumbled.

Grail turned his attention towards the three downed dragons across the way. "Who are they?"

"We don't know." Tina answered. "They came out of nowhere and attacked us."

"What?"

It was around this time that Grail and Tina took notice of Cyrus' injured wing. The blood had stopped, but it was still in bad shape.

"By the ancestors!" Tina cried out. "Are you alright, Cy?"

"I'm okay." Cyrus replied. "It only hurts a little, thanks to my magic."

Grail, meanwhile, glared at the three downed dragons. He signaled for the soldiers to surround and arrest them. The memory and time dragons did little more than snarl, but Johnathan was in a state of panic as a metal muzzle was slipped over his maw.

"You three will pay dearly for assaulting and injuring the Prince!" The Deep Shadow snapped.

"They weren't the only ones." Tina said. "Three more got away just before you arrived."

"Three more?" Grail repeated, turning around.

"Yeah." Cyrus answered. "There was a Fire dragon, a dragonfly, and a purple dragoness. Only, she wasn't _really_ purple: She wore a disguise. She was actually… Well…"

"Well what?" Grail demanded.

"White!" Tina exclaimed. "Her hide was White!"

The Fauna dragon's eye lit up. "White?"

"Just like how Rune's was when Malefor possessed him!" The memory dragoness exclaimed.

"And her face…" Cyrus said.

"What about her face?" Grail asked.

"And that red glowing symbol on her." The Prince continued. "She looked almost like….."

"Like who?"

Cyrus shook his head. "Come on. We've got to tell my Mom and grandfather about this. Immediately!"


	30. Act 1, Chapter 10 FM

Act 1, Chapter 10

The sun was setting. After Rune and Albanion stopped to get some nourishment at a small pub, the two dragons returned to temple. As they approached the building, Rune looked over the Jade necklace he had bought from Benjamin's magic shop.

"You know, I can't help but shake the feeling that I've seen that somewhere before." Albanion said.

"Me too." Rune replied. "It looks really familiar."

"Whatever the case, I'm sure your young blue friend will appreciate the gift, your Highness."

"She's more than a friend, Albanion." Rune replied. "I've been dating Nellie ever since the whole Malefor ordeal ended. Didn't you know that?"

Albanion sighed.

"I suppose I have. And I'm sure that you two have been very happy together so far. But you know, you shouldn't assume that Nellie is the only girl you'll ever be with."

"What do you mean?" Rune asked.

"There may come a time when the either one of, or both of you feel that things just aren't working out."

The Prince's eyes flared with shock.

"That's not true!" He exclaimed. "We care about each other very much!"

"That may be the case, but you only see each other for part of a year." The Deep Shadow stated. "The distance may put strain on your relationship as you get older. Each of you may wish to be with dragons who live nearby."

Rune sneered. Albanion frowned.

"Rune, I don't mean to sound harsh" he continued. "You are still young. Sometimes things don't go the way you hoped for. And besides, even if you were to end your _serious_ relationship with the girl, that doesn't mean you cannot still be dear friends. Nor does it mean you won't find someone else to ease the disappointment."

The Prince looked away, refusing to say anything else. The Deep Shadow sighed again, and the two continued on their way to the temple.

As they approached the temple steps, something was amiss.

A large gathering of citizens had mobilized before the temple. Most of them were chattering about some spectacle, and a few were attempting to file inside. Kiros, Rose, and a several soldiers were standing before the temple doorway, doing their best to calm them all down.

"Everyone, settle down please!" Rose shouted out with an augmented voice.

"What in the world?" Albanion asked.

"What's happening?" Rune wondered.

"I don't know, but I'll soon find out."

The Deep Shadow led Rune towards the temple entrance, pushing past the crowd.

"Stand aside!" He bellowed.

Albanion and the Prince came to a stop before Rose and Lilith.

"It's good that you're back." Kiros said. "There's been some terrible trouble, and the both of you are needed inside."

"What do you mean?" Rune asked.

"Your brother and Tina have been attacked, my prince." Rose answered.

Rune's eyes lit up. "What?"

"They were assaulted during a visit to the park." Kiros clarified. "Don't worry: the two have received only minor injuries."

"Where are they now?" Albanion demanded. "And who attacked them?"

"Cyrus and Tina are being treated by Gale for their injuries in the medical wing." Rose answered. "As for the perpetrators, they're already being tried by the Queen. Head for the throne room to attend the trial."

"Thank you!" Without wasting a breath, Rune pushed past the Deep Shadows to head for the medical ward.

"Hold your horses, your Highness!" Albanion shouted.

"I need to check on them!" He called back. "I'll head for the throne room later!"

The flora dragon shook his head. Rose and Kiros watched Rune go.

"I suppose I shall head over on my own." Albanion stated. "Good luck keeping the people under control."

"Things should be under control soon." Kiros replied. "Don't worry about us."

Albanion nodded, and then turned to make his way through the temple.

…

"OUCH!" Cyrus cried out.

"Oh quite your bellyaching, your Highness." Gale demanded. "It'll only sting for a few moments."

Gale was a water dragon near the end of his late twenties. He had a navy-blue hide, with a sky blue underbelly. His body was more elongated like most dragons, similar to a serpent. He had seven small, charcoal horns decorated on his head, and a neatly trimmed, blonde mane. A pair of black spectacles sat before his azure eyes, and a tattoo of a wyvern on his left foreleg. His body was covered by the standard Deep Shadow robes, which were modified to match his stretched figure.

Gale was the newest member of the Deep Shadows. He had spent most of his life studying medical arts of various cultures and honing his water magic towards healing rather than offense. Despite this, Elenar found him to be more than worthy of Deep Shadow status when she met him during a trip to the central islands. Gale moved to Warfang a month later, where he was also enlisted as the head doctor in both the temple and the local clinic.

Gale and Cyrus were in the middle of the medical ward. The prince was laying on his back on a bed while the doctor applied a healing salve to both sides of Cyrus' membrane to clean the wounds. Tina and Chalice were standing nearby, snickering. Tina had a few patches on her hide where she got scratched.

"Well it still hurts." Cyrus complained.

"That only means its working." Gale replied.

The water dragon wiped away the white foam on the wing membrane with a cotton swab.

"You should consider it lucky that your wing bones were unharmed." Gale said. "I would have had to put a cast on it."

"Well that's a relief." Cyrus said halfheartedly.

"Of course, I'll still need to apply stitching to it." The doctor continued.

"What?" Cyrus exclaimed.

"Oh calm down." Gale demanded. "It will only take a few minutes."

"Gee, thanks." The Prince complained. "Couldn't you just use your healing magic to fix it?"

"It's a pretty basic wound." The doctor replied. "No need to waste magical energy on something that can be 'fixed' with conventional methods."

"Aww." Cyrus grimaced.

Tina and Chalice watched as Gale got to work stitching up Cyrus' membrane. The prince grunted and groaned in annoyance the whole while.

"Why does it have to be so itchy?" He demanded.

"There's nothing I can do about it, your Highness." Gale snapped. "Please, just let me do my job."

After a few minutes, Rune came running through the doorway on the other side of the room. Gale was caught off guard, nearly dropping his needle.

"Confound it!" He yelled.

"S-Sorry." Rune stammered as he approached.

"Heya Rune!" Chalice called over.

"Hi."

The Prince came to a stop before Tina and Chalice while Cyrus resumed stitching.

"Are you guys alright?" Rune asked. "I heard about what happened."

"We're okay, Rune." Tina answered. "Well, apart from Cy having to get his wing patched up."

"Yeah, and- OUCH!" Cyrus shouted.

"Oh hush." The doctor snapped.

"Who did this?" Rune queried.

"It was a bunch of petty thugs." Tina answered. "About six of them. One of them was a purple dragoness in black robes… except that she wasn't really."

"Huh?"

"You see, she was wearing purple makeup over her face to make her _look_ like a purple dragon. She was actually a **white** dragon!"

"A white dragoness?" Rune asked.

"We both saw it, plain as day." Cyrus replied. "A white dragoness, roughly our age, give or take a year."

"Where is she now?"

"She got away with a few of the other thugs as Grail and the soldiers arrived." Tina said. "But they were lucky enough to capture the other three."

"Mom is dealing with them right now." Cyrus added. "Personally, I hope she gives the green one - the jerkwad who did THIS to me- the axe."

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Harsh? HARSH? He fucking stabbed me!"

"Oh enough." Gale demanded. "I've finished with the last of the stitches. It should be a few weeks before they need removing. Now get going already."

"Uh, thanks Gale." Cyrus stammered, getting off the bed.

"You wanna head for the throne room?" Chalice asked.

"That's where all the action is." Tina said. "Might as well, right?"

"Yeah, I wanna see what they do with those assholes." Cyrus agreed.

As the trio headed for the doorway, Rune shook his head.

"One thing after another today…"

…

Elenar sat upon the throne in the chamber. Grail and Aegis were at her left, while Urobos and Nerona sat to the right. Johnathan and the two thugs were placed before the Queen, bound in chains and with iron muzzles worn over their faces. Albanion stood off to the side, watching the events.

Grail had relayed the information Cyrus and Tina had given to him about the encounter straight to Elenar as soon as he arrived. To verify what had been said, Aegis scanned the minds of the three brigands to view their most recent memories, which were then projected to the rest of the group. All three gave an account of the assault, albeit from different viewpoints.

A distasteful glare painted the faces of both Elenar and Urobos.

"Clearly these fiends are guilty of attempted Regicide!" Grail bellowed. "Let's waste no time executing them so we can begin a search for the rest of the bastards responsible!"

"There may be no point in that." Albanion said. "The trio could be anywhere in Warfang by now. They may not even be in Warfang at all anymore!"

"You would allow those criminals to go unpunished?" Aegis asked.

"No. I'm saying that finding them may be impossible. They were lucky enough to escape before they were caught, like these ones were."

"Perhaps, if we pry these ones of further information, " Albanion said, "They may divulge the location of the rest."

"That may not be necessary." Elenar stated.

"What do you mean, your Majesty?"

The Queen glared down at the trio of thugs. The memory and time dragons did and said nothing: They knew they were caught. But the middle one, the earth dragon, was shaking and shivering. His breath was quiet, but sporadic. And his eyes were full of fear.

Eyes that the Queen recognized.

"You." Elenar said, pointing a talon at the young dragon. "I know you."

"W…What?" The dragon stammered.

Instead of answering, the Queen got up from her throne and approached the drake. She stepped to his side, grabbed his jacket, and pulled it away from his neck. The green, inverted circle was revealed.

"You are Commander Saul's son: Johnathan of Clan Virgo."

Urobos and the Deep Shadows' eyes lit up in alarm. Johnathan shook even more.

"The son of that oath Saul?" Grail asked, incredulous.

"What would he be doing in Warfang?" Albanion queried.

"That's a wonderful question." Elenar stated, glaring down at the earth dragon. "Tell me: why have you come to Warfang?"

"N… No reason." Johnathan stuttered.

Elenar's eyes glowed red, and she drove one of her talons into the base of Johnathan's neck.

"What are you doing?" He asked frantically.

"The well-being of one of my children has been threatened." Elenar said angrily. "As such, I am quite intolerant of lies."

A small flash of pain entered Johnathan's body. He winced.

"I'll ask again: why have you come to Warfang?" Elenar demanded.

"I… I came to…" Johnathan stammered.

"To what?" The Queen asked.

"To… uh…"

Annoyed, Elenar increased the amount of pain. The earth drake's began hyperventilating.

"Tell me!" Elenar roared.

Johnathan cried out in pain. "I came to kill Rune and Cyrus!"

There was immediate silence in the air. It was soon followed by enraged hisses from the Deep Shadows.

"What did I tell you? ATTEMPTED REGICIDE!" Grail roared.

"Did you come alone?" Elenar asked, teeth bared.

"N-No." Johnathan admitted. "I… I brought my gang with me."

"Where are they now?" The Queen demanded. "Where is the rest of your gang?"

"Uh…" Johnathan stammered.

Elenar poured even more of her energy into the earth dragon. He yelped.

"WHERE?" She bellowed.

"The traders!" Johnathan cried out. "We hid in amongst the traders from Faeshrine! I swear!"

Elenar let the magic shrink down to only a small prick. Johnathan collapsed, trying to catch his breath.

"One final question." Elenar stated. "What do you know about the 'purple' dragoness who was seen among the group who attacked my son and his friend?"

"She's… uh… she came from Faeshrine." Johnathan answered. "She tagged along to help us kill the princes."

"Who is she?"

"You said that there was only one more-"

Johnathan was interrupted by a sharp burst of pain. He howled in agony

"TELL ME WHO SHE IS!" The Queen roared.

"She's the daughter of a trader in Faeshrine!" The earth dragon exclaimed. "She wears purple makeup to hide amongst normal citizens!"

Elenar grunted in frustration, letting her magic end. Johnathan collapsed again.

"Toss this welp and his two allies into separate jail cells." She commanded. "I shall have the two others sentenced to life imprisonment. As for Johnathan, I shall have a letter sent to Saul to inform him on what his son has done. Then **he **can punish him accordingly."

"NO!" He cried out. "Please don't!"

"SILENCE!" Johnathan cringed in fear, while Elenar continued. "Take them away."

"As you command, your Highness." Grail responded.

The fauna dragon signaled to a group of soldiers in the back. They took rank around the three criminals and forced them up, dragging them out of the throne room. The memory and time dragons stayed silent, while Johnathan begged for mercy the whole way.

"Please, no!" He begged.

"Shut up!" Grail snapped.

Rune, Cyrus, Tina and Chalice walked into the throne room just in time to see the three criminals pass by them. Cyrus snarled at Johnathan as he watched him go, while Rune just looked at him.

Once the three were gone, Elenar retook her position on the throne. The two Princes and their friends walked up to her.

"Hello, mother." The two said in unison. The Queen sighed to calm herself down.

"Hello boys." She said. "Cyrus, is your wing feeling better?"

"Much better." He answered. "It itches a little, though."

Elenar got up and hugged Cyrus close.

"Mom, what're you doing?" He exclaimed, taken aback.

Tina and Chalice laughed at the sight.

"I was so afraid for you." Elenar said, crying a little.

"Mom, I'm not a little hatchling anymore." Cyrus protested. "Stop hugging so tight!"

"No matter how big you are, you'll always be my hatchling."

"MOOOOM!"

The Queen soon let her son go, wiped her face, and sat down on the throne once again.

"We will need to send a group of soldiers to inspect the caravan." Grail stated.

"But how will we know where to look amongst them?" Albanion asked. "Apart from the three brigands from the scryed memories, we have no idea who to look for."

"I cannot just send a brigade of soldiers in to search the caravan after having just showed the traders the hospitality of letting them conduct business in Warfang." Elenar said. "Even if fugitives are hiding in the caravan, It would be immoral to harass the traders just to get to them."

Grail was taken aback. "Warfang is **your** city, your highness!" He exclaimed. "Everyone and everything in it is subject to you!"

"I am the one who will decide what to do about these assailants, Grail." She said. The grey Fauna dragon sighed in contempt.

"What shall you do, then, your highness?" Albanion asked.

"As long as we don't know where the assailants are, It isn't safe for either Rune or Cyrus to wander the streets of Warfang alone. Until they are located, whenever my sons wish to wander the city, they must bring a few soldiers or one of the Deep Shadows with them for protection. Do you boys understand?"

"Yes, mother." Rune replied. Cyrus, however, grimaced.

"That sucks." He said.

"It's for your own good, Cyrus." Elenar responded.

"But mom, I-"

"I know you're growing up, but it's dangerous out there right now. Between the constant cougar attacks and today's assault, I can't risk you getting ambushed anymore."

"She's right, Cyrus." Rune said. "I mean, you've been falling behind a little with your physical combat."

"That's not necessary, Rune." Elenar scolded.

"It doesn't matter!" Cyrus protested. "I can keep myself out of harm without being babysat!"

"Like you kept yourself out of harm today?" The Queen snapped. "You are going to be escorted from now on, end of discussion." 

"But-"

"End. Of. Discussion."

Cyrus snorted and looked down at the floor. "Fine."

"Good." Elenar looked back at the Deep Shadows. "Furthermore, I want the city guard's number to be doubled. The thugs may vary in terms of threat level, but the white dragoness in disguise is quite powerful, considering her capabilities. We'll need as many guards on patrol as possible, and spread out allover the city. Grail, you will take charge of this."

"Yes, your highness." He agreed.

"This meeting is adjourned. You may leave."

Everyone except Elenar and Urobos turned to leave the Throne room. But before Rune or Cyrus could go far, Elenar spoke to them.

"Boys, I want you to stay. There's something your grandfather and I need to talk to you about."

The two black dragons turned around and walked back to her.

"We'll see you guys later." Chalice said back to them as he left.

"See ya, guys!" Tina added, following after Chalice.

"Have a seat, boys." Urobos said, a concerned look on his face. The two princes did so.

"What is it, mother?" Rune asked. Elenar sighed.

"Cyrus, did the white dragoness who attacked you happen to look…familiar?"

"Well, she had the same style of horns that you and I have." He began. "And she had the same red glowing birthmarks on her sides that I have."

Elenar sighed again. She glanced up at Urobos, sadness in her eyes.

"There's no mistaking it, is there?" She asked.

"I should say not, Elenar." The old dragon answered.

"What are you two talking about?" Rune asked. "Do you know who that dragoness was or something?"

Elenar looked at her sons.

"Rune, Cyrus, it's time that I told you something. Something that's been kept secret from you your entire lives."

"What, mother?" Cyrus asked. Elenar took a short pause, as if not wanting to tell them.

"You have an older sibling."

The two princes stood aghast.

"What?" Rune asked incredulously. "How is that even possible?"

"Let me explain, boys." Elenar answered. "About a year before I married your father, I had a child with another dragon, a man named Bergan."

"Why would you go behind father's back like that?" Cyrus demanded.

"Cyrus, you don't understand. Times were difficult back then. It looked like the Dark dragon race was going to be extinguished."

"How come you never told u?." Rune asked.

Elenar took a deep breath. "Allow me to tell you the whole story…"

…

"I must say, dear," Bergan began, irritation in his voice. "You have a knack for acting without thinking."

After the fight with the black dragon and his companion ended, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur fled back to the caravan. Flame handed the Tyrrany's cloak back to her, and helped hide her face from any potential onlookers. When they got back to Bergan's carriage, they reluctantly told him the whole story. He wasn't pleased.

The purple dragon faced away from them, looking out a window.

"Father, I'm sorry." Tyrrany pleaded. "When I discovered that the black dragon was my half-brother, I couldn't contain my anger."

"So, instead of thinking things through, you lunged into battle, making the two dragons your enemies."

Tyrrany got nervous.

"Well, I….." She started to stammer. But before she could finish speaking, Bergan suddenly spun around to glare at her. In the process, he struck Tyrrany across the face with the back of his front right paw. The dragoness yelped in pain. She fell to the floor, a red mark on her face. Flame flinched with discomfort at the sight.

"Do you ever listen to _anything_ I tell you, Tyrrany?" The purple drake asked, an eye ridge raised. His daughter didn't answer. She just got back onto her feet, clutching her sore face. She was afraid.

"Here's what you should have done instead: When you saw that the dragon was one of your half-brothers, you-"

"There's another one?" Tyrrany asked. Bergan glared. He struck his daughter's face a second time. She gasped silently.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to you." He said coldly. Tyrrany fought back the urge to cry. Instead, she used her Pain element to null the sting.

"I'm sorry, father." She said. Bergan then continued.

"As I was saying, when you saw that he was your half-brother, you should have casually introduced yourself. Had you gotten on the prince's good side, there's a chance he would have invited you to come to the temple. Through him, you could have then gotten on good terms with your mother, all while hiding who you really were. And then, once you're finally alone in a room with her, you could strike."

"That's brilliant, sir." Flame said. Bergan nodded.

"Yes. However, you've gone and ruined that now, haven you, Tyrrany? It's probable that, as we speak, Queen Elenar is assigning city guards to search for the dragon who attempted to murder one of her sons. Getting your revenge will be much more difficult now. To make matters worse, Johnathan, whom is your betrothed I might add, has been arrested and is now locked away in a dungeon in the bowel of the temple. And all because you couldn't help but violently attack your half-brother."

Bergan sighed in disapproval. "Perhaps I was wrong: you're still not ready."

"I **am** ready!" Tyrrany protested. Bergan shook his head no.

"No, you're not. You still behave irrationally. I thought I taught you better." Tyrrany bowed her head to her father, pleading.

"I'm sorry for my mistake, father! Really! I won't let it happen again! Please, let me continue in my mission!"

Bergan studied his daughter for a minute. He sighed in pity.

"Alright. You may continue." The White dragoness looked up a Bergan.

"Thank you, father."

"However, you're going to need to find a way to atone for your 'crime' without being sentenced to prison or death. You also need to find a way to clear Johnathan's name in time for your wedding ceremony. Attempted regicide is a _serious_ offense. Hmm…"

Bergan turned and looked out the window again, stroking his beard in thought.

"Aha!" He shouted, snapping his talons. "I've got it!"

"What, father?" Tyrrany asked. Bergan turned back to face her.

"In a short time, your other brother, Prince Rune, will be leaving for the city of Glenhaven. He spends about six months of a year living there. He will be visiting a friend of his: A dragoness named Nellie."

"How is that relevant, father?"

"Nellie is very close to Rune. If the dragoness got stuck in the middle of an….accident, then sure enough, Rune would fly to her aid."

"'Accident'?" Flame asked. "What kind of accident?"

"A life-or-death situation." Bergan answered. "Now, suppose the situation was too severe for Rune to handle on his own. That is when **you**, Tyrrany, swoop in to lend him your aid. Chances are, by then, he will already know about your attempt to kill his brother, although that depends on whether or not they could force the information out of Johnathan or his _friends_."

"If that's so, then why should I help aid this Nellie?" Tyrrany asked.

"Rune is more compassionate than his brother is. If you help rescue Nellie, then he may be grateful enough to let you explain that the attack on Cyrus was nothing more than a misunderstanding. From there, it's possible that he'll return to Warfang with you, where he'll explain to your mother what really happened. Perhaps she'll forgive you, and the plan will be back on track."

"Well, I suppose it could work." Tyrrany said glumly. "But wouldn't I have to travel to Glenhaven, then?" Bergan nodded.

"Yes. It will be a large detour, but it's all part of the plan. You will return to Warfang shortly afterwards anyhow, so there should be no problem."

"If you say so, father." Bergan grinned.

"You, Flame, and Arthur shall leave for Glenhaven this very evening, in the dead of night. After you've gathered the supplies you need, you will board one of the caravan's wagons, which will be heading west towards the Valley of Avalar. After the wagon is a considerable distance from Warfang, you will leave the wagon and fly south, across the Central Ocean, through the Fractured Hills, and to the center of the Arcus desert, where the city resides. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Flame and Arthur said.

"Yes, father." Tyrrany said at the same time.

"Excellent. If you need a map, then you're free to use one."

"But sir, what about Johnathan?" Flame asked. "Isn't it possible that they'll have Johnathan executed?"

"I should think not; it's against Clan customs to execute a member of one royal family without said royal family's consent. It's much more likely that Elenar will attempt to alert Commander Saul as to what's happened here."

"How long will that take?" Arthur queried.

"It all depends on how long it takes to reach Saul. Since he is away on business in the Central Islands, I should assume it'll take quite some time, which gives us plenty of opportunity to rescue Johnathan. Now, go and get ready."

"Yes sir."

The trio nodded and turned to leave the carriage. Bergan turned as well, facing out the window, deep in thought.

_That girl's blunder may actually prove useful to me_, he thought. _Elenar will go out of her way to find her darling, once she learns where she is. _Bergan smirked.

"Poor little Elenar. She hasn't seen her daughter in so long."


	31. Interlude FM

Interlude

After almost a year of construction, the new home for the Dark dragons had finally been completed.

During the year, several dozen messengers traveled the world in secret, looking for as many Dark dragon war refugees they could find. They were all told the same thing: To flee to the floating plains.

The haven was constructed by combining The Waypoint to several other smaller islands via a massive amount of Space magic. Pain and Space dragons alike got to work using their respective resources and technology to construct dozens of buildings, roads, and passageways in, on, and around the cluster of Islands. In the very core of the cluster was a large furnace. The furnace was used to keep the haven floating in the air. It was powered by a massive amount of gems, which were brought to the Floating Plains from the Mountains of Inferdus.

During the construction, Bane and Elenar spent some time getting to know each other better. They both found that the other had changed a bit in the long time the spent apart, but deep down, they were the same people they always were since they were younger.

Bane was nervous to admit it, at first, but eventually he told Elenar that he had fallen for her a long time ago. He had to keep it to himself, though, because he didn't think they'd ever be together. In a way, this arranged marriage was a dream come true, even if it was too sudden for Bane's tastes.

A large number of Dark dragons stood before the massive new palace that was constructed in the center of the floating city. Urobos stood before the crowd, the two elders Argos and Icarox next to him. Grail, Rose and a few other members of Urobos' personal guard stood over on the far left side of the steps, standing at attendance. Queen Persephone, Prince Hemlokk and Queen Eliza stood at Urobos' right. Bane was standing before the right corner of the bottom of the front steps. The black dragon prince was dressed in a black cloak adorned with the symbol of Clan Capricorn on its back. Albanion stood by his side. Bane had selected him to be the best man.

Urobos spoke to the crowd, using the Sound element to augment his voice.

"My fair people, this is a momentous evening for our race. The Twilight War has nearly brought ruin onto our kind. But tonight, we are saved from destruction. Tonight marks the maiden voyage of the new home for our kind: A massive floating city that will last us for generations! We will be able to live in secret from the rest of the world for years to come. I christen it, The Hive!"

When Urobos finished, the crowd of dragons erupted into cheers. Grail and the others merely clapped. Bane smiled.

"This is amazing." He whispered. "What do you think, Albanion?"

"I'd say it's amazing that you're getting married." His friend whispered back. "You're so shy around women."

"Ha." Bane responded, smirking. "What about you? Do_ you_ plan on getting hitched?"

The dark grey dragon thought for a while. "Well, Elza is a beautiful dragoness…"

"Good luck." Bane chuckled.

After the crowd cheered for a moment, Urobos waved his hands to settle them down. He then motioned to one of the dragons standing at attendance, who then motioned to a group of dragons holding various musical instruments. The dragon musicians began playing festive wedding music.

At the back of the crowd, Elenar started walking forwards towards the palace steps. She wore a majestic black wedding gown, as was the custom of Clan Aries. An assortment of small gems adorned her horns.

Alexander walked alongside Elenar, while Elza followed behind.

As the music played, Elenar walked with grace. However, she was nervous to the bone. She couldn't bear to have so many dragons watching her at once.

"You okay, Elly?" the green dragoness asked.

"Why do they all have to stare at me?" the grey dragoness whispered back.

"You are of royal blood, Elenar." Alexander answered. "It only natural for this to occur, especially on your wedding night."

"Yes, I know, but I'm still a young woman. I can't take this pressure."

"Everything will be alright, Elly." Elza reassured. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Elenar sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Eventually, Alexander and Elenar arrived at the palace steps, standing next to Bane. The three dragons turned to face Urobos and the two elders. Elza stood off to the side, symmetrical to Albanion. Alexander and Urobos shared a quick nod, and then the Pain King turned to his daughter.

"This is where I leave things up to you." He said calmly.

"Thank you, father." Elenar replied.

After Alexander moved out of the way, Urobos spoke again.

"There is another reason for us to celebrate this night. For the first time in hundreds of years, two dragon clans, Clan Capricorn and Clan Aries, will be united as one. My son, Prince Bane, and the young Princess Elenar, have decided to take each other as mates."

Argos, the male elder, walked forwards, pulling out a length of black rope. He tied both ends around Bane's front left ankle and Elenar's front right ankle.

"This rope represents the bonds of commitment. The push and pull shows how complete unity is needed to keep the bond strong."

Icarox, the female elder, placed two wreathes of flowers around both younger dragons' necks.

"These flower wreathes represent a blessing on your love. May it prosper and grow for years to come."

Next, Urobos held his right forepaw out. Almost immediately, a black longsword appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Bane, Elenar, bow down." The two dragons did as he commanded. Urobos gently placed the tip of the sword on Bane's front right shoulder.

"Do you, Bane, descendant of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder, and heir to Clan Capricorn, wish to take up this dragoness as your mate? Do you promise to be faithful to her, and be there to aid and support her in times of crisis?"

"I Do." Bane said. Urobos lifted the sword and placed it on Elenar's shoulder.

"Do you, Elenar, descendant of Lord Inferdus and Lady Esmeralda, and heir to Clan Aries, wish to take up this dragon as your mate? Do you promise to respect his decisions, and to be a good mother for his children?"

"I Do." Elenar responded. Urobos smiled, lifting the sword in the air.

"By the power vested in me, as King of Clan Capricorn, by The Great Shadow herself, I accept your wishes, and hereby grant them." Urobos swung the sword down, slicing the black rope in half.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go forth, and prosper."

Bane and Elenar stood up. They faced each other, smiled, and kissed. The crowd cheered uproariously. Albanion, Elza, and the other dragons standing at attendance clapped in approval.

Bane and Elenar were now man and wife.

…

A few hours passed. A large wedding reception was being held in the Hive palace. Many dragons attended the spectacle. The palace ball room was marvelously decorated. Several long tables had various foods arranged for all to enjoy. The musicians from the wedding were here again, playing classical music to entertain the guests. Urobos, Alexander, Eliza, Persephone and Hemlokk were on the far side of a grand table at the front of the room, talking amongst themselves. Bane and Elenar were seated before the opposite side of the table, congratulated by random party-goers for their marriage.

"You two will do fine as mates." One dragon said.

"Thank you." Elenar responded.

"You're bound to have many children together!" Another person said.

"Not too many, I hope." Bane chuckled.

Urobos was right. The people were absolutely ecstatic about the union. Bane and Elenar couldn't help it, but they both were happy as well.

At one point, Albanion and Elza walked up to congratulate the two as well.

"Congratulations, you two." Albanion said, grinning.

"Thank you, Albanion." Elenar replied, also smiling.

"So, are you two going to be having children soon?" Elza asked. Bane groaned.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" he grimaced.

"Well, we haven't talked about it yet." Elenar said. "Not that I'm rushing you, Bane."

Bane blushed, making the others laugh.

"I'm going to go get some more food." Elza said. "I'll be right back."

Elza turned around and walked towards the food tables. Suddenly, she bumped into a young, dark red dragon who suddenly appeared in front of her in a cloud of smoke. The dragon was roughly in his late teens. He had a grey underbelly. He had orange horns that grew downwards and backwards. His eyes and mane were a poison green color, the latter of which was styled into spikes. He was dressed in a busboy's outfit.

The young dragon accidentally knocked Elza's plate to the floor. He gasped when he saw what he did.

"Oh my!" He shouted. "Sorry about that, miss!"

He immediately scraped up the remains of the plate off the floor, instantly teleported to a garbage can to dispose of them, and then teleported back. Elza was surprised at how fast he moved.

"Can I get you anything to make up for it, miss?" He asked the green dragoness.

"Well, I _was_ going to get a few grapes and some cake…" Elza said.

"Say no more!" The young dragon declared. "I'm on it!" He instantly teleported over to the food tables. Meanwhile, Elza turned back to the other three dragons at the front table.

"Who is that?" She asked.

"That's Wraith." Bane answered.

"He sort of works under us." Albanion added He's surprisingly talented at Space magic, and very knowledgeable on the subject as a whole."

"Why does he work as a busboy?" the green dragoness asked.

"This is only a side job for him. He's a student at the magic academy." Bane answered.

Wraith suddenly appeared, holding a new plate with the food Elza specified.

"Here ya go, miss!' He said happily.

"Um, thank you, Wraith." Elza replied, taking the plate. Wraith bowed, and walked off.

"Is something the matter, Elza?" Bane asked. The green dragoness shook her head.

"That Space magic gave me a start, is all." She answered. "I'm still not used to it."

"You mean you're not used to _this_?" Bane asked. He instantly teleported in front of Elza, giving her a shock. She nearly dropped her plate again.

"Don't do that!" She exclaimed. Albanion and Elenar laughed.

"Or what?" Bane asked, smiling. Elza growled.

"Please don't kill my husband, Elza." Elenar said jokingly. All four dragons had a laugh.

A while later, Urobos and the other monarchs walked over to Bane and Elenar. A smile was upon the aged black dragon's face.

"How are you two doing?" He asked.

"We're just fine, father." Bane answered.

"That's good to hear."

Alexander and Eliza stood before their daughter. The Queen hugged her daughter, ecstatic.

"My little girl's finally a woman." She said, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, mother." Elenar replied. Alexander snorted.

"I must admit, you have done a great service to the Dark dragon race on this night." He stated, cracking a smile. "And marrying a black dragon is a great honor for you."

Urobos held a forepaw out before his son.

"Bane, there's something I wish to give you."

"What, father?" The Prince asked.

"Consider it a wedding gift." Urobos channeled magical energy into his forepaw, and the black sword appeared in a cloud of smoke once again. He held the sword with both paws, and presented it to Bane.

"Your sword?" Bane asked, confused.

"I want you to have it, Bane. This old man's too weary to fight with a sword now."

"You're not _that_ old, Urobos." Elenar said. "You've only entered your late forties."

Urobos shook his head.

"Even so, I don't need this sword anymore. It's yours now, ma'boy." Bane took the sword from his father.

"Thank you, father." He said, smiling.

"You're welcome."

"You'd best take good care of that sword, boy." Alexander stated. "And you had better take even better care of my daughter."

"I will, sir." Bane answered.

"Oh yes, be sure to take care of her." A loud, yet familiar voice said nearby. "I certainly would have, if I was given the chance.

Bane, Elenar, and the monarchs turned towards the origin of the voice.

"Who's there?" Urobos demanded.

Off towards the center of the room, the crowd of party-goers had formed a circle around two figures, who were approaching. One was Nerona, and the other was Bergan. A stern expression was etched upon his face.

"Bergan!" Alexander exclaimed angrily.

"Bergan?" Bane asked, confused. Elenar hid behind the black dragon.

"What brings you here?" Urobos queried.

"I invited him to come, your Highness." Nerona answered. "I thought it was only fair."

"Is that so?" Alexander sneered.

"Oh yes." Bergan replied. "Forgive me for not arriving to the wedding on time. I was too busy… oh what was it? Ah, of course! I was too busy planning **my** wedding with Elenar."

Urobos and Bane were taken aback.

"Excuse me?" Urobos snapped.

"I…" Elenar stuttered, shivering. "I was originally proposed to Bergan."

"You what?" Bane exclaimed.

"Elenar and I were to become husband and wife." Bergan repeated. "It was to happen alongside the dragons of Clan Aries having a mass exodus to Aeroshard. Imagine my surprise when I found out that not only had you forsaken me for Bane, but my idea of providing a safe haven for the Dark dragons was stolen and put to use behind my back."

All eyes fell on Elenar. She whimpered in fear.

"Why weren't we told of your previous engagement?" Persephone demanded.

"Because I refused to allow it!" Alexander declared. "I will not have my daughter be bonded to a vile lizard such as yourself, Bergan!"

"Temper, temper." Bergan scolded. "You could have sent me a letter telling me you disapprove, you know. Pretending my proposal never happened was just childish and foolhardy: I was going to find out eventually, you know."

"I.. uh… I meant to send you a letter…" Elenar muttered.

"Oh you DID, did you? Well that's awfully nice of you." the purple dragon said sarcastically. "I can see it now: 'Dear Bergan: I've decided to go back on my word and refuse to marry you months after you've gone through the trouble of preparing for it. I'm also going to be stealing your plans and put them to use on my own. Love Elenar.'"

Elenar bent her head low, while Alexander and Eliza snarled.

"Stop insulting my daughter like that!" The Queen demanded.

"She's not the only one who's been insulted, I can assure you." Bergan stated. "I mean really, leaving me to plan for months without a letter to let me know how things were going. I was beginning to wonder if her health was deteriorating."

"And just why would you worry about that?" Urobos asked.

"Well, it's only natural for a man to worry about his then mate and unborn child."

"What?" Alexander exclaimed incredulously.

"Oh, did you not know, Alexander?" Bergan asked, smiling. "Elenar is expecting. And the child is mine."

"YOU LIE!" Alexander bellowed.

"No." Elenar said solemnly. "He's telling the truth: I'm pregnant."

A chorus of gasps filled the air.

"No!" The Aries King roared incredulously.

"Yes." Elenar replied, her head bent low.

All eyes fell on Elenar, while her father shook in anger.

"You… _mated_ with this wretch?" He demanded.

"I…" Elenar stuttered. The princess turned and fled from the ball room, tears in her eyes.

"Elenar, wait!" Bane exclaimed, chasing after her.

As the two left the area, Bergan shook his head.

"Oh dear, I seem to have made a mess of things." He lamented.

"The nerve you have." Eliza sneered. "Do you see what inviting him has brought upon us, Nerona?"

"Well, I only thought it was the right thing to do." Nerona replied.

"And right it was." Bergan stated.

"SILENCE!" Alexander roared. "You are not welcome here! GET OUT!"

Rather than reply to the King, the purple dragon casually walked towards a nearby table. He spent a minute pouring red wine into a bowl.

"Did you not hear me?" Alexander demanded. Bergan took a sip from the bowl.

"I must say, this is quite a marvelous structure you all have here, this 'Hive'." He mused. "All those months of silence were well invested."

"Stop ignoring me and LEAVE!" Alexander demanded.

"Must you continue to behave that way?" The purple dragon asked. "You wouldn't want me to inform any of the Light dragon monarchs about your flying home here, would you?"

"What did you say?" Eliza asked.

"You heard me, milady." Bergan answered, smiling. "You've already insulted me quite a bit thus far. Any more, and I just might find it necessary to-"

"Now hold on a minute!" Urobos quickly interrupted. "Surely this is going too far. Can't we discuss this like rational men?"

"Discuss this with _him_?" Alexander bellowed.

"Ah, see, this is why I like you, Urobos." Bergan said, smiling. "You always seek to resolve conflict in a civilized manner. I highly value men like you."

"Thank you, I suppose." The black dragon replied. "Now, I'm truly sorry that you feel betrayed, Bergan. I swear, had I known about your previous engagement to Elenar, I never would have had her marry my son."

"Quite understandable, I assure you." Bergan said. "But that doesn't change the fact that she is now Bane's wife."

"Is there anything I can provide that'll serve as compensation for the emotional stress?" Urobos asked.

"Hmmm…"

"He doesn't deserve a thing!" Alexander roared.

"Hush, Alexander." Urobos sneered.

Bergan finished his bowl of wine. "Now that I think about it, there is nothing I would want from you."

"Nothing?" The black dragon repeated, confused.

"The key words here are, _from you_." Bergan answered. "What I want, Urobos, is not yours to give: The city of Faeshrine."

"Faeshrine?" Persephone asked. "Why would you want that city?"

"Because I am in need of a new city to call my own. I have recently gone about purchasing a few independent trading companies here and there, and Aeroshard just isn't the right location for a base of operations. Faeshrine, however, is much more suitable. And since the Flora dragons have left the city, there should be no reason for them to object to my people moving there."

"I suppose that's a reasonable assumption." The Flora dragoness said. "But can I trust that you won't defile the forest?"

"Of course: I wouldn't dare cause unwarranted harm to the Tarune forest or its wildlife." Bergan sat his bowl back down. "Well then, I suppose there's no more reason for me to muck about here. I take my leave now. Send my regards to Bane and Elenar, and I wish her luck with the hatchling."

"… Thank you very much." Urobos replied awkwardly.

"I do hope their marriage is long and prosperous." And with that said, Bergan left the ball room.

Once he was gone, Alexander gave Nerona a death stare.

"You must be truly insane to invite him here." He snarled.

"I've already apologized, your Highness." Nerona frowned.

"Your apologies useless!"

"Enough!" Urobos bellowed. "Harping on the fact is worthless, Alexander! What is done, is done!"

The Pain dragon glared at the black one. "The nerve you have to say that to me…"

"Oh hush up." Eliza demanded. "We're letting this turn of events ruin the party. This is a time of celebration, not fighting."

"Aye." Urobos agreed. "Plus, we need to go find Bane and Elenar."

"Allow me, your Highness." Elza suggested.

"Alright then, go."

The Wind dragoness bowed her head, and then ran off through the doorway Bane and Elenar had left through.

…

Elenar ran into the bedroom she shared with Bane and immediately collapsed onto the large mattress. She burst out into tears.

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way." She said, sobbing.

A short while later, Bane walked into the room.

"Elenar?" He asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"

The dragoness turned to look at him. "I'm sorry." She whimpered.

"Sorry? For what?" The black dragon asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was pregnant."

Bane frowned as Elenar continued crying. He calmly approached her and patted her on the back.

"It's alright." He said softly. "You don't have to apologize for anything."

"You're not mad?" Elenar asked, turning to look at him.

"Why should I be?"

"Because I've been keeping it from you, Urobos, Elza… everyone!"

Bane sighed. "Well, can you at least tell me when exactly this happened?"

Elenar began to recount the day when she and Bergan mated. Bane began to sneer.

"So… Bergan took advantage of you."

"I consented to it." Elenar responded. "I thought it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Whatever the case, you became pregnant from the event. So, when is the egg due?"

"I'm not sure. It could be any day now."

"I see… Do you want to keep it?"

Elenar was quiet for a while.

"Elenar?" Bane asked.

"I don't know." The dragoness said sadly. "I want to keep my child, but my father said that if I had any children with Bergan, he would disown both me and my hatchling."

"Well nuts to him." The black dragon replied. "I'll help you raise it, if you wish."

"You would?" Elenar asked, amazed.

"Of course. Even if you father wants nothing to do with you, I'll still love and support both you and the child. I'll raise it as my own."

Elenar got upright and hugged the black dragon close. "Thank you Bane."

Unfortunately, fate had different plans. When the egg finally came around, everyone would be shocked to discover that it was imprinted with what they believed to be a terrible curse.

The curse of Runileon the Wicked.


	32. Act 2, Chapter 1 FM

Act 2, Chapter 1

Dante's Holocaust was a desolate wasteland with remnants of an ancient war scattered all across it.

In ancient times, the land war ruled by a powerful Ice dragon named Dante. Dante was a tyrannical dictator, who constructed a mighty fortress filled with hundreds of soldiers. He had led a massive war against enemy factions who sought to steal his political power. Just before he was slain, Dante used every ounce of his essence to create a mighty Ice Fury, which engulfed the land into a permanent age of ice, snow and blizzards. Thus, the land became Dante's Freezer.

When Malefor almost destroyed the world, Dante's freezer became engulfed in a raging inferno, melting the snow and burning the land. After the firestorm had passed, the land was left a barren wasteland, with only scraps of the ancient civilization still remaining. On top of all that, the landmass broke apart from the main continent and drifted to the south, beyond the scope of civilization. So, the land's name was changed to Dante's Holocaust.

Because the land was left uninhabited for hundreds of years, Bergan believed that it would be perfect for establishing a secondary base of operations. So, when Saul left Faeshrine, the purple dragon sent several of his own ships to leave for Dante's Holocaust at relatively the same time.

Two days after leaving Faeshrine, the FTC carrier ships broke away from Saul's warships. The Commander was taking most of his ships towards the island of Brizl'dur, while his wife and step-sister took their own ship back to Aeroshard. Meanwhile, the six FTC carrier ships sailed around the edge of the southern continent. The lead ship was a massive freighter with red sails, and was named the Sweet Memories. Flamaedelus-Anthony had taken control of the fleet as per Bergan's commands.

Almost an entire week after separating from Saul's brigade, the FTC fleet finally arrived at Dante's Holocaust. Once the ships docked on the empty shore, Anthony ordered the moles, felines, dragons and other species on board to get to work. They set to work removing various construction supplies from the ships and organizing them on the charred land. Other employees got to work establishing the ground for a barracks, a mess hall, a stable for livestock, and other necessities.

As this took place, Anthony stayed onboard the Sweet Memories. He walked into his Captain's Quarters, where Richard, Megara and Melissa were waiting for him.

"Do you all know the plan?" The red dragon asked.

"Why would any of us forget it?" Megara replied.

"Good. Then you know what to do next."

"Megara and I will stay behind in Dante's Holocaust and look after the construction of the new headquarters." Melissa said.

"In the meantime, you and I shall bring a brigade of soldiers with us as we head back north, stopping at the Arcus Desert." Richard added.

"And then, we search for the black dragon." Anthony said. The four senior partners looked amongst themselves.

"So, how close do you think President Bergan will come to gathering the needed amount of Dark dragons?" Melissa asked.

"Bergan is a tactical genius." Richard said. "He will succeed, as he always does. We need only wait for events to come to be."

"How do you think he does it?" Megara asked.

"I may not know how, but he always knows what to do, **how** to do it, **when** to do it, and **where** to do it. Because of his flawless actions, we have all come to be incredibly wealthy. Is it really that much of a curse to be in the dark on his methods?"

"Perhaps you're right." Anthony replied. "We shall do as he says, as we always have."

"But what about Saul?" Megara asked. "Bergan may be a patient genius, but Saul has a tendency to fuel his thoughts and actions with blind hate."

"Aye." Anthony said, nodding. "Do not spread word of this, but Saul has instructed his son Johnathan and his band or ruffians to murder the princes of Warfang."

"Murder the princes?" Melissa repeated, astounded. "Would Saul really dare to attempt such a thing? I am aware of the political debacle from four years ago, but surely he would think twice before wildly acting against Bergan's plans."

"I suppose that runs in his family." Richard joked. "We all know about King Gaius' warpath during the Twilight war, and how he went completely against what Bergan told him to do. Of course, all that got him was a swift and humiliating end."

"Even so, it's not a complete deterrent for Saul." Megara stated. "Thick-headedness is a recurring trait for the rulers of clan Virgo."

"That's enough." Flamaedelus interrupted. "Time is growing short, and there're deeds to be done."

"This is where we part ways, then." Melissa said. She kissed her husband and proceeded to walk out of the quarters. Megara bid her husband goodbye as well.

"May you two be successful in your endeavor." She said as she left. This left Richard and Anthony alone.

…

About an hour and a half later, Anthony and Richard ordered the Sweet Memories' sailors to back the ship up from the shore and turn towards the north. As the ship headed on its way, the dragon and the dragonfly stood upon the deck.

The two watched the ocean waves crashing lightly against the hull of the ship. The sky was clear, with only a few clouds floating far to the west. A chilly morning wind blew against Anthony's back, barely penetrating the warmth of his garments.

"The weather is perfect this morning." Richard said.

"Aye." Anthony agreed.

The two were quiet for a short time.

"I wonder how our sons are doing?" The dragonfly mused.

Anthony sighed. "I wish I knew. My son has developed a crush on the President's daughter."

"Do you disapprove?"

"Of course. It is an unwise choice for him to long for Tyrrany while she's already betrothed to young Johnathan. If he persists, he'll dig himself into a pit of trouble from which he cannot escape."

"True, very true," Richard replied. "But that doesn't seem like the only reason you disapprove."

The dragon looked away for a moment.

"Tell no one I said this," He replied, "but I find Tyrrany to be a very violent and impulsive young dragoness. She and our sons may be friends, but she can be very abusive. If Flamaedelus goes too far in his attempts, she just might assault him. I just can't bear that."

"Calm your nerves, my friend." Richard said. "Despite her violent tendencies, she has remained friends with our sons through thick and thin. Perhaps she's more trusting of people than we've given her credit for in the past."

"I'll keep that in mind, for now." The dragon agreed. For a time, the two remained silent as the ship continued on its way. But then, Anthony spoke again.

"Another matter troubles me."

"What is it?"

"It concerns Tyrrany's half-brother, prince Rune."

"Ah, the black dragon. What about him?"

"According to the scrolls Bergan gave us, we're supposed to abduct him somehow. But, how are we supposed to accomplish it? And without being seen in the act, for that matter?"

Richard thought to himself, trying to come up with an answer. "The scrolls mentioned something about a Water dragoness that Rune has become infatuated with. Perhaps we could find her, and use her as bait to lure Rune to us."

"Where could we find her?"

"It's possible that she's attending the school in the Glenhaven Palace. Once we find out which one of the students she is, we can find a way to capture her."

"I have just the way…"

Anthony reached into his satchel and pulled out a small machine. It was a large, mythril gauntlet, with several purple gems embedded into various slots. Anthony placed the gauntlet over his front right talon.

"Will President Bergan's device work at this time?" Richard asked.

"This is the best time to find out." his dragon companion answered.

Anthony pointed the gauntlet towards a part of the ship's floor and held his talons out. After the drake spent a moment concentrating, a black aura appeared around the gauntlet. And then, a small pool of Dark energy appeared on the spot on the floor that Anthony was pointing at. And then, a small band of monsters, half bird and half reptile, crawled out of the pool. They then stared up at the dragon, waiting for a command.

"So, Bergan has done it again!" The dragonfly declared. "He's devised a way to artificially harness the power of Darkness! What did he say these creatures are called again? Crepzulus or Crepscylen?"

"Crepsculi." Anthony corrected. He snapped his talons, and the Crepsculi flew into the air, circling around the dragon. Anthony then waved his gauntleted paw, and the Crepsculi vanished into clouds of Darkness.

"Is that the only one he built?" Richard asked.

"No, Bergan has built more." The dragon answered. "However, this is the first time the right amount of purple gems has been determined. I'll need to right the amount down and send it to the scientists and machinists below deck."

"I wonder where Bergan learned about those creatures?"

"He claims to have learned of their existence from a dark dragon, many years ago."

"Interesting."

The conversation ended, and the Sweet Memories made its way north to the Arcus Desert, and the city of Glenhaven in its center.

…

It was the middle of the morning when Hontus finally arrived in the city of Warfang. The sun illuminated the giant floating fortress that hung above the city. The red dragon was traveling to pick up Rune and return with him to Glenhaven. This had become a routine trip since the Malefor Ordeal ended four years ago.

Hontus hadn't changed much in that time. He was still a Guardian for the Glenhaven Palace. Although, he was considering getting a second occupation as a Gym teacher at the school.

Hontus came to a landing at the Warfang temple steps. As he walked forwards he was stopped by two dragon soldiers: A Flora dragon and an Earth dragon. Two cheetah soldiers stood on standby near them.

"What is your business here?" The Earth dragon asked.

"I am a visiting Guardian from the city of Glenhaven." Hontus answered. "I'm here to speak with Queen Elenar. Let me through."

The dragon's examined Hontus' red choker. When it was confirmed he was telling the truth, one of the dragons spoke.

"You're going to have to wait here until we can bring a Deep Shadow to escort you."

"Why is that?" Hontus asked.

"During school hours, visitors aren't allowed to freely wander the Temple. They have to be escorted. And since you wish to speak with Her Royal Highness, you must be escorted by a Deep Shadow. This is for security purposes."

Hontus rolled his eyes. "Alright, then. But I'd prefer the Deep Shadow to be either Albanion or Wraith."

"How do you know them by name?"

"They're acquaintances."

"Very well."

The two dragons sent the cheetahs in to retrieve one of the Deep Shadows. Hontus spent a good ten minutes waiting outside. To relieve boredom, Hontus started watching the many citizens of Warfang. Dark dragons and Light dragons walked amongst each other seamlessly. It was amazing; Dark dragons were now living in most parts of the world, but Warfang had the greatest concentration of them. On the other hand, there was a still a severe lack of Dark dragons in Glenhaven. The only exception was Rune, of course.

"Hontus! I figured it was you!" The fire dragon heard someone say behind him. Hontus turned around to see Wraith walking up to him.

"Greetings, Wraith." he said.

"How was the trip north?" the Deep Shadow asked. Hontus grunted.

"Boring and too long." He answered. "It makes me wish I had your abilities."

Wraith laughed. "I figured as much. Come on, let's go inside."

Wraith led Hontus into the Temple. Along the way, they decided to have a conversation to pass the time.

"So, how have things been in Warfang?" Hontus asked.

"The past six months? Not much. But since just yesterday? Trouble's been brewin'."

"Trouble?" Hontus asked, concerned. "What kind of trouble?"

"Just yesterday, prince Cyrus was attacked by a group of thugs."

"What?" Hontus exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Yeah. He got stabbed through the wing membrane, but otherwise he's alright. We captured three of the assailants, but the others got away."

"That's horrible." Hontus frowned. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Everything's under control, for now. But there might be more trouble coming up soon: Apparently it's possible that one of the thugs who got away was Queen Elenar's long-estranged daughter."

"What?" Hontus asked, incredulous. Wraith sighed. "Let me fill you in…."

…

Rune and Cyrus were at their physical combat training, as was routine. As was usual, Grail had the princes performing various physical exercises. Normally, Rune completed most of them with little difficulty. But today, he was messing up more than usual. He kept tripping over himself, attacking the wrong targets, getting knocked out of the air, and other such blunders.

Grail was disappointed. Well, more disappointed than usual.

"What is wrong with you today, prince Rune?" He bellowed. "That's the kind of behavior I would expect from your brother!"

"Hey!" Cyrus complained.

"I guess my mind is just elsewhere today." Rune answered.

"Well get your head out of the clouds!" Grail demanded. "The battlefield is no place for daydreaming!"

Rune nodded, and resumed his training.

For the past few days, Rune had been thinking about his sister. He could barely believe it. This whole time, he had a sister! And she had a strange White hide. According to what Elenar said, his sister had been living under the care of an old friend of hers, some dragon named Bergan for the last seventeen years. Four years ago, Elenar had hoped that Bergan and their child (she didn't know it was a girl) would come to the council. She wanted to apologize to her child for not being there for them, and to get back onto good terms with Bergan. Rune didn't know what she meant by that, though. But for some reason, Bergan didn't show up for the council, instead sending Vice-president Flamaedelus-Anthony.

Since then, Elenar had been trying to get into contact with Bergan. Whenever she sent a letter, she never got a message. And whenever she'd arrive in Faeshrine in person, Bergan was nowhere to be found.

_If mother's been going out of her way to find this Bergan person, then why did she keep my sister's existence a secret?_

_**That's not important**_, Runefor said. _**Here's a REAL question to ask: Why did our dear sister try to kill Cyrus?**_

_I hate to admit it, but that's a good question. Why would she want to kill Cyrus?_

_**Do you know what it means?**_

_No, what?_

_**It means that even though neither us nor Cyrus knew about her, SHE knew about US. And she seems to have a vendetta against you and Cyrus. I have the feeling that we'll be hearing from our sister again, really soon.**_

_What makes you say that?_

_**Call it a hunch.**_

"Prince Rune?" Somebody shouted to him. He lost his concentration, slammed into a wooden ape dummy, and fell to the floor. Grail groaned, while Cyrus laughed.

_**Get up, you fool! You look like a moron!**_

Rune scraped himself off the training room floor. He looked over to see Elza waiting for him by the entrance.

"What is it, Elza?" He asked.

"Your highness, Hontus has arrived to pick you up."

Rune's eyes beamed. "Great!"

"Can't it wait until later?" Grail demanded. "I'm in the middle of teaching him."

"You train him and his brother to the bone every day." Elza responded. "I don't think leaving early will affect his training."

Grail grunted. "Fine. It's not like he was getting much accomplished today anyhow." He looked over at Rune. "Prince Rune, you are excused. Get going."

Rune walked forwards, heading out of the arena. Elza walked alongside him.

"Go gather you belongings and head to the Main chamber. Hontus is waiting for you there."

"Okay." Rune responded happily.

"Bye, Rune!" Cyrus shouted, waving goodbye. Grail glared at him.

"Get back to your training!"

Rune stepped out of the training arena and proceeded down the hallways towards his room.

"How have you been feeling lately, Elza?" The black dragon asked.

"I've been doing fair enough." She replied.

"Albanion says your hatchday is coming up."

"Yes. It is." Elza smiled.

"I wish I could've gotten you something."

"That is alright, your highness."

_**Bleh**_, Runefor grimaced. _**May the ancestors strike me down so I can escape this!**_

When the two dragons reached Rune's chamber, he looked up at the dragoness.

"I'll be right back in a minute."

"Take your time, your highness."

Rune stepped inside his room and hung two satchels around himself. He had already packed it with his favorite books, a small pouch of gold, and a few other personal items. He also packed a silver cape and four stockings, in anticipation of the dancing to be done during the Day of the Bonds festival. After all this, Rune walked over to where he had set down his sword.

"Hmm, I still don't know if I should bring this thing." He said, shrugging.

_**Go ahead, bring it along**_, Runefor said. _**You'll need all the practice you can get.. And who knows? You may finally get the hand of it.**_

"Perhaps you're right, for once…."

Rune picked the sword up and held it before him. After concentrating for a moment, Rune made the sword turn into a cloud of Dark energy, and he absorbed it into his body. Urobos taught Rune how to do this, and said that he taught his father as well. The point of absorbing the energy of the sword was so that it was always nearby in times of battle. It was a weird sensation, but Rune got used to it.

A short while later, Rune and Elza walked into Elenar's main chamber. Standing next her were Urobos, Wraith, and Hontus. The four watched Rune and Elza as they approached. The prince could hardly contain his excitement.

"Hi, Hontus!" Rune greeted.

"Hey, kiddo." The Fire dragon greeted back, smiling. "Is that everything you're bringing with you?"

"Uh-huh."

Hontus looked over at Elenar. "I guess we had better be leaving."

Rune walked over to Elenar and Urobos and hugged each of them goodbye.

"Goodbye, guys." He said.

"Goodbye, Rune." His mother replied.

"May the ancestors grant you a safe trip." Urobos added.

Rune turned around and walked out of the Main chamber. Hontus was close behind.

Once the two were finally out of the Temple, Hontus looked down at Rune.

"You ready to go?"

Rune looked at the temple one last time, and then said, "Yeah, let's go."

The two dragons spread their wings and took off into flight. They flew south, heading out of Warfang and into the Veros Outskirts.

Their journey to Glenhaven had begun.


	33. Act 2, Chapter 2 FM

Act 2, Chapter 2

It was not an easy trip. Ever since Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur left Warfang, they had to travel south as fast as possible. The flight over the Central Ocean was far from dangerous, but still difficult. They flew from small island to small island during the first few days. Tyrrany's magic power kept her going at peak performance, but Flame and Arthur had to use scores of gems to keep themselves energized. Several times, they wanted to take a break on one of the islands floating along the ocean, but Tyrrany didn't allow it. The dragoness was dead set on getting to Glenhaven as soon as possible.

On the third day, the group arrived at the grand isle of Brizl'dur. Brizl'dur was composed of a large forest, a few small mountains, and several port towns. A massive coliseum stood prominent in the very center of the island, give it the sense that it was the very center of the dragon realms.

Flame and Arthur came to a landing on one of the mountain peaks, both of them panting deeply. Tyrrany, however, just continued flying onwards, leaving them behind.

"Anny, wait!" Flame called out

"Don't ditch us, girl!" Arthur added. Tyrrany sighed in contempt. She turned around and flew back to them, glaring

"Can't you two keep up?" She demanded.

"We've bushed!" Arthur exclaimed. "I can barely keep from crashing into the ground."

"Can't we stop to rest for a while, Anny?" Flame pleaded. "We're not as powerful as you."

Tyrrany rolled her eyes. She would rather just leave the two slackers behind and continue on to the Fractured Hills. However, she needed them around to aid her in battles. And her father wouldn't approve of her running off alone.

"Fine." She said coldly. "We'll find a place to sleep in for a while." The two boys sighed in relief, while Tyrrany groaned in annoyance. Arthur slowly lifted up into the air, while Flame looked out at the scenery below.

"We could stop one of those towns over there." He suggested. "Or maybe… hey, look!"

"What is it _now_?" Tyrrany demanded.

"Commander's Saul's boats have arrived!" Flame exclaimed, pointing with a talon. "Take a look!"

With a sigh, the dragoness turned and looked in the direction Flame pointed in. Sure enough, a brigade of warships with Aeroshard's seal on them were docked off to the west, at the closest port town.

"They must've arrived only recently." She remarked.

"I wonder if they're beginning plans for construction for that new city Bergan talked about the other day." Arthur said.

"Let's fly over and find out." Tyrrany stated.

"What?" The boys shouted.

"Since Saul is going to become my father-in-law, it's only right that he find out what's happened to Johnathan." She said. "And besides, you two want to take a nap, right? We might as well look for a place to stay in town on a comfortable bed instead of mountain rock."

"Good point." Flame admitted.

"Well then, let's go." Tyrrany declared, taking off. As the dragoness flew down towards the forest, Arthur and Flame exchanged glances.

"I think there's more to this than she's letting on." The dragonfly said.

"Yeah, me too." Flame admitted. "Let's go: We can't leave her alone for too long."

The two got up and flew after Tyrrany.

…

Saul gazed over his armada with a critical gaze as he sat up on the stern of the ship. Beside him, a young electricity dragon glanced around anxiously, gripping his lantern tightly as he examined the crew huffing and puffing around them.

Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur flew down to about a half a mile outside of the port town. They then applied Tyrrany's disguise and purple makeup. Once she was disguised, they made their way towards town. Flame struggled to keep from collapsing under the weight of their supplies due to his fatigue.

Meanwhile, on the armada's flagship, a sailor called out to the Commander.

"Ahoy! Two dragons and a fly are approaching yonder!" The cheetah in the crows nest shouted, putting down hi spyglass and pointing towards the specks. Saul glanced towards where the lookout had pointed, and squinted.

"What do they look like?"

"One seems to be a purple dragoness, with black clothing on, and the other looks to be a red dragon with a weird outfit and goggles! I can't make out the fly from this distance!"

"That must be Bergan's daughter and her friends." Saul said to himself. "I'm going ashore to greet them. I'll be back momentarily."

"Aye aye, sir!" The sailors sounded out.

Saul disembarked from the ship to greet the teenagers.

The Commander walked down the wooden plank that connected the ship to the docks, and made for town.

About five minutes later, Saul came to a stop a short distance from the trio. Tyrrany stopped before the Earth dragon. Flame and Arthur soon stopped just behind her.

"Greetings, Commander." Flame and Arthur said in unison.

"Greetings…" Saul replied. He glanced between the group, his brow furrowed. Something wasn't right.

"Where is Johnny?" He asked, his voice low.

"I.. I have terrible news, sir." Tyrrany answered.

Saul rested his gaze on the dragoness, his expression darkening. "Yes?"

"During our stay in Glenhaven, Johnathan and my companions here encountered... one of the princes of Warfang."

"Go on."

"Well, we... fought him in battle, against father's wishes. When Warfang authorities arrived, the three of us were able to escape, but Johnathan and two of his thugs were captured."

Saul gazed down at the dragoness grimly, his eyes narrowing ferociously. 

Saul sneered. "So what you're telling me is, my idiotic son attacked a prince, got captured, and is now at the mercy of our soon to be enemies?"

"Yes Commander."

"If they discover who he is, they might try to send you a letter, sir." Arthur added.

Saul turned away, quaking with rage.

"If it had been anyone but you, I would have keelhauled them through shark infested waters."

Tyrrany was silent as the grave, but not a drop of fear was present in her eyes.

Saul turned back to Tyrrany, and snorted. "I suppose I should thank you for telling me this, but I am not exactly in the mood to do so."

"Understood." Tyrrany replied. "Flame and Arthur are very tired from our journey thus far. Is it alright if we spend the day resting in town?"

Saul nodded sharply, glancing away. 

"Can you tell us where an inn might be, sir?" Flame asked.

"Check the town square, that's the best place to look for a place like that." Saul grunted, turning his back to the younglings.

"Thank you. Have a pleasant day, Commander."

Tyrrany turned and walked back to the town blocks. Flame and Arthur bowed to the Commander, and then quickly followed after her. Saul turned away as well, eyes flaring with rage.

_That FOOL! I finally count on him to do what he and his thugs love to do, and he FAILS me? _Saul made his way back towards the flagship. _Maybe I should just leave him to rot in prison as punishment! But no, I can't: Olivia would be devastated._

Saul walked back up the wooden plank, lost in thought.

….

The trio walked into an inn called The Shepherd's Flock. The only room they could afford to stay in for one night was a single-bed room on in the back of the inn.

Tyrrany walked into the room calmly and gracefully. Flame and Arthur, on the other hand, flew inside swiftly, looking for a good spot to take a nap in. The dragoness yawned.

_I guess I could use some rest as well_, she thought. She looked around the room. Even though there was only one dragon-sized bed, it also had a silk cushion by the window. A doorway on the right side of the room led to a small washroom.

_At least there's a place for me to check on my disguise._

Tyrrany wandered into the washroom and shut the door. She started taking off her disguise, and then filled the nearby tub with water. So, Tyrrany submerged herself into the cold water. She used a small amount of fire breath to raise the water's temperature toc a relaxing level.

After Tyrrany had cleaned herself off, she used combined Fire and Wind magic to dry herself off. She then neatly folded the individual pieces of her outfit and stored them in her satchel. She then walked out of the washroom and approached lied down on the right side of the bed. She shut her eyes and allowed herself to drift asleep…

A few moments later, she heard something lay down on the left side of the bed. She opened her eyes and looked over. Flame had lied down next to her, his back was facing away from her. Enraged, the she punched Flame hard in the back. He yelled and jerked in pain.

"What?" He asked, twisting his body around to look at Tyrrany.

"Back off!" She yelled.

"What's the problem?"

"I don't want you so close to me."

"I was just going to sleep, Anny."

"Oh, like I'm going to believe that's all you were going to do."

"I'm telling the truth! Look, this bed is big enough for two adult dragons. You'll barely notice I'm on it."

"Why don't you just use that cushion by the window." Tyrrany demanded.

"Oh come on, why do I have to use the tiny cushion while you get the entire bed? That's not fair!"

Tyrrany gave Flame a death stare. He felt uncomfortable.

"What's with you?" He asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"I _tolerate_ you." the dragoness answered.

"We've been friends for years, Tyrrany. When have I _ever _done something to hurt you?"

The dragoness snorted. "There's nobody who hasn't, or won't hurt another."

"I'd never hurt you, Anny." Flame sighed. He slowly reached forwards with a paw, hoping to place if on top of one of hers. "It doesn't matter what your hide color is. I think you're a beautiful dragoness. I-"

"DON'T WASTE YOUR BREATH!" Tyrrany bellowed. Flame reeled back in fright. The dragoness glared into Flame's eyes.

"You listen good, Flame! I don't believe a single bit of that horseshit! You don't _love_ me! You just have the hopes of getting close to me so you can get some of the money I've inherited! Or maybe you just want to get at my pussy!"

"Neither of that is true!" Flame snapped. "I love you for who you are. I understand you."

"You understand me? HA! You have no idea what I've had to live through all my life!"

"I know more than you realize."

"Bullshit! You don't know what it's been like! _Your_ mother is around, and actually cares about you! _You_ can walk around in public without having to hide the color of your scales out of shame! _You_ weren't endlessly tormented by other dragons because of the way you looked! You don't understand me! NO ONE DOES!"

"Tyrrany…"

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Flame rolled away in alarm, nearly falling off the bed. "You and I will **never** be together! **NEVER**! So just GIVE IT UP!"

"But, I…."

"Go the fuck away, before I tear your throat out!"

Flame just slumped off the bed and sat down on the cushion, sitting next to Arthur. The dragon held his head low the entire time.

"And by the way, Flame: If you **ever** get that close to me uninvited again, I will personally **castrate** you! GOT IT?"

"Yes, I get it…." Flame said sadly, facing away from her. Tyrrany lied back down as well, also facing away. She shut her eyes and relaxed. Over on the other side of the room, she could hear Flame silently crying quietly to himself. She sighed in pity.

_Perhaps I went slightly too far. Well, it doesn't matter. I can't have his idiotic feelings get in the way of my mission. And besides, I'm betrothed to marry Johnathan, if he gets out of prison. Flame'll just have to move on._

Tyrrany slowly stopped thinking about things, and drifted off into slumber.

…

It was a typical day for Nellie at the Glenhaven Palace. Embirella still wasn't used to the new school, so Nellie, Blankridge and Emerald decided to help her out. As it turned out, each one of them had at least one individual class with her.

Nellie, Emerald and Embirella were in the middle of their physical combat training class. Unfortunately for Nellie, Roxanne attended the same class. Fortunately, her cronies Aaron and Vaun weren't around to back her up. The male and female students were given separate combat classes, because of some… _shenanigans_ a few students got into several years back.

The teacher for the class was a water dragon named Eloise. She had a sky blue hide with a purple underbelly. She had five yellow horns: three larger horns that shot out upwards on the back of her head, and two smaller horns that grew out of her lower jaw, curling backwards. She had dark blue eyes and mane, the latter of which was tied back in a bun on the back of her head.

Eloise was notorious among students for her strict, no-nonsense attitude. She believed a school's primary purpose was to be a place for learning, not enjoyment. If she caught a student goofing off or misbehaving, she had them punished swiftly and severely. She also liked to make students do combat techniques in the most frustrating ways possible. Most of the students in her classes hated her.

All of the students were currently sitting in the bleachers. They had all just finished a series of training exercises that involved striking an enemy into the air and then following up with and aerial swipe and several side slashes. Once all of the girls were exhausted, Eloise decided to let them take a break on the bleachers. The teacher then proceeded to walk up and down in front of them, giving them a lecture about how personal fitness is vital for good combat.

Nellie, Emerald and Embirella were all sitting together in the back row. Emerald and Ember were whispering back and forth between each other.

"Is Miss Eloise always like this?" the pink girl asked.

"Yeah." Emerald answered. "But don't worry, you'll get used it. Everyone in her classes does at some point."

Meanwhile, Nellie pulled a Quill pen and a piece of paper and started doodling to pass the time. She used one of her textbooks as a flat surface. Most of what she drew was just a bunch of random stick figures of various creatures doing ridiculous things. However, on the other side of the paper, Nellie spent a good while drawing a detailed sketch of herself and Rune. The two young dragons were standing before a statue of Lord Spyro. Rune was holding a Serenity Rose out to Nellie, who was blushing, taking the gift. The real Nellie sighed happily as she finished part of Rune's mane.

"What're you drawing, Nellie?" Embirella asked. Shocked, the blue dragoness immediately hid her drawing inside her textbook.

"Uh, nothing." She said nervously. Emerald chuckled.

"Don't mind Nellie, Ember." The green dragoness said. "She doesn't like anybody seeing her drawings. Not even Rune."

"Well, I'm not that good at it."

"What are you talking about?" Emerald responded. "I've seen some of your drawings, Nellie. You're amazing!"

"I'm not that great…"

"Yes, you are." Nellie smiled a little.

For as long as she could remember, Nellie liked to draw pictures of various places, objects and people. But here absolute _favorite_ thing to draw was pictures of herself and Rune. She never showed anyone her drawings of Rune and herself, because some of them were kind of embarrassing.

Suddenly, something landed on Nellie's textbook.

"Someone just tossed a note to you." Ember said, pointing to it.

"Huh?"

Nellie looked down at her textbook. Sure enough, a small note was lying on it. She picked it up and looked at its contents. Her eyes flared with rage.

It was a drawing of Roxanne making out with Rune, with one of her forepaws reaching down Rune's underbelly. A pig-snouted version of Nellie was tied up in ropes and lying on the ground nearby.

Nellie crumpled up the note and looked around for Roxanne, glaring.

"What is it, Nellie?" Emerald asked.

"Look." Nellie growled. She passed the note to the green dragoness, who uncrumpled it and had a look. She gasped.

"This is awful!" Emerald said, frowning in disgust. "Where is she?"

"There." Nellie said. She spotted Roxanne a short distance away. The yellow dragoness was looking back, a smug grin on her face. Nellie snarled at her.

"She is _so_ going to get it when class is over."

A while later, the class finally came to an end. All of the girls gathered there belongings and filed out of the combat arena. After Nellie gathered her things, she stepped down from the bleachers and stormed off, looking for Roxanne. Embirella and Emerald chased after her.

"Nellie, wait!" Embirella shouted.

"Don't stoop to her level." Emerald added. "She's just trying to antagonize you."

"Well it's working." Nellie snarled, looking fro the Lightning dragoness. "Aha!"

Nellie spotted Roxanne walking out of the arena doors. The blue dragoness ran after her, Ember and Emerald following along.

Out in the halls, Nellie spotted Roxanne walking along, as if nothing was wrong. The blue dragoness then crept up on her, charging magic energy into her mouth. Right before she attacked, Aaron and Vaun turned a corner and approached Roxanne. Vaun spotted Nellie.

"Rox, look out!" The water dragon yelled, pointing. Roxanne turned around just in time for Nellie's Ice beam to hit her square in the face. The yellow dragoness went reeling backwards and hit the floor with a thud.

Aaron and Vaun ran up to help Roxanne up, while Emerald and Embirella ran up behind Nellie, who was standing over the yellow dragoness, grinning. As Roxanne got back onto her feet, she laughed.

"I take it you don't like my drawing, then." She said, grinning.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Rox." Nellie sneered. "Rune is mine. Deal with it."

"Oh?" Roxanne laughed. "Are you afraid I'm trying to snatch away your darling brother?"

Nellie was getting angrier. Even after getting attacked, Roxanne still talked big. That was _so_ irritating.

"Just walk away now, Nellie." Emerald warned. "This isn't worth it."

"Just be quiet, Emmy." Nellie snapped. Roxanne and her cronies chuckled.

"So, you only take orders from your brother!" Aaron chided.

"Shut up!" Nellie yelled. Several other students started to crowed around at this point.

"Gee, if only Rune was here." Vaun said. "Then he'd be able to make you behave yourself."

Nellie started shaking with rage. She took a step forwards.

"Nellie, no." Embirella said.

"I'm warning you…." Nellie snarled, teeth bared. "SHUT. UP!"

"Tell me, Nellie…."Roxanne asked. "Do you like to suck on your brother's big, black co-?"

Nellie immediately lunged at Roxanne, roaring. The yellow dragoness quickly dodged out of the way, sending Nellie crashing into the floor. As the blue dragoness yelped in pain, Roxanne stood above her, laughing.

"You call that an attack? What a pathetic-"

Roxanne was cut off by a sudden blast of Water to the face. All the students that were crowded around gasped. Nellie quickly got to feet, growling. Roxanne growled as well.

"Why, you little Blue Bitch!"

"Shut up and fight!"

Glaring, Roxanne opened her mouth to fire a jolt of Lightning breath. Nellie countered this by blasting a Water breath at the same time. The two beams connected in midair, moving back and forth. In the meantime, the crowd started cheering.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Aaron and Vaun started rooting for Roxanne, while Emerald and Ember hopelessly tried to get Nellie to stop fighting.

Soon, Nellie's Water breath overpowered Roxanne's Lightning breath, and the yellow dragoness was hit with another Water blast to the face. Now having the upper hand, Nellie charged forward and started punching at Roxanne. The yellow dragoness started fighting back. They snarled, slashed, clawed, and snapped at each other.

At one point in the fight, Roxanne managed to scratch one of Nellie's wing membranes. The blue dragoness retaliated by grabbing hold of Roxanne's front left foreleg with her mouth, sinking her fangs into the other girl's scales. Roxanne roared in pain, clawing Nellie in an attempt to get her to let go. She eventually did, sending Roxanne falling backwards in the process.

Nellie felt good. She was winning. She was finally teaching that yellow slut a lesson. And then…

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" A female adult bellowed. The fighting immediately ceased, and everyone looked to see where the voice came from. It was Eloise.

The combat training teacher pushed past the crowd, focusing her gaze on Nellie and Roxanne. The two younger dragonesses just stared up at her, nervous.

"What were you two doing?" She asked angrily. Immediately, Aaron spoke up.

"Nellie attacked Roxanne, for basically no reason!" He said.

"Yeah! Rox was just walking along, and then suddenly, this psycho just up and hits her!" Vaun added.

"That's not how it happened!" Emerald snapped.

"There's liars!" Ember exclaimed. "Roxanne provoked her!"

"She did NOT" Aaron yelled.

"She did TOO!"

"SILENCE!" Eloise bellowed. She got her wish. "This fight is over. All of you, get to class!" All of the students proceeded to walk away. Roxanne and Nellie were about to leave as well, but Eloise stopped them.

"Hold it, you two!" The adult water dragoness said. She pointed a talon at Roxanne, and then at Nellie.

"You two are coming with me! Your parents are going to hear about this!"

"Yes, Miss Eloise." The two girls said.

Eloise then walked down the hallways, the two dragonesses close behind. They were heading for the Elders' chamber. Roxanne grinned at Nellie. Nellie glared back at her.

_She planned this the entire time, didn't she?_

Nellie sighed.

_And I fell for her trick. Now I'm going to get punished for starting a fight. It's not fair!_

The blue dragoness shed a few tears.

_I wish you were here to teach Roxanne and her two stooges a lesson, Rune!_

…

It was now late at night. Flame was the first one to wake up. The memory of Tyrrany's harsh words still hung around in his head. He glanced around: Arthur and Tyrrany were both sound asleep.

"We need to get ready to go." he said out loud. He was about to wake up Arthur, but then glanced back at Tyrrany. He changed his mind, and walked over to her.

The White dragoness was lying in bed, curled up like a cat and snoring quietly. She was so adorable. He could hardly believe this same dragoness had just shut him down hours ago.

He started to cry again. How could she say those things? Sure, Tyrrany wasn't the nicest dragoness, but why would she openly threaten _him_? Flame was on of her two best friends, and the only dragon her age to treat her like an equal. He had a crush on her for a long time, and always did his best to make it apparent to her. It would have been one thing for her to gently reject his advances. But the threats of violence were just uncalled for.

Flame lowered his head, bringing his face close to hers. He leaned his head close to her ear frill.

"I won't let you push me away, Tyrrany." He whispered. "I still love you, and I know that, somewhere inside your heart, you love me back." He gently brought his snout up to hers, and gently kissed her. He then backed away from the sleeping dragoness, and walked over to Arthur to wake him up.

The three still had a great distance to travel to get to Glenhaven.


	34. Act 2, Chapter 3 FM

Act 2, Chapter 3

It was a slow day for Wraith. Whenever Rune left for Glenhaven, Wraith's sessions with Cyrus seemed to take only half as long. Sure, he was a Deep Shadow as well as the princes' magic tutor, but he often found his days uneventful. Most of the other Deeps Shadows took care of the important jobs: Grail and Kiros were in charge of the city's police force, Elza served as the queen's advisor, Gale was the chief doctor of the city clinics, Aegis and Lilith ran the Dark dragon school, Albanion was the princes' bodyguard when the queen was away on business, and Nerona handled public relations. The only other Deep Shadow who didn't have an important objective was Rose, although she usually helped Nerona when the latter needs it.

Wraith usually spends his afternoons just wandering around the Temple, hoping for something to happen. He actually started reminiscing about the time when he had to find the runaway prince Cyrus, and the whole scheme to revive the Queen. Not a good sign. Sometimes, he'd go out into the city to visit a few of the pubs and diners to relieve boredom. But most of the time, life for Wraith was pretty dull.

During the start of the evening, Wraith was walking down the hall, heading towards the temple's cafeteria to grab a bit to eat. He sighed.

_Another boring day._

As he was walking, he noticed two dragons approaching him from down the hall. It was Albanion and Aegis. When they got close enough, he stopped to greet then.

"Hey, guys." He said. "Where you two headed?"

"Greetings, Wraith", Aegis responded, nodding.

"It's been a slow day today," Albanion added. "Aegis and I are heading out on the town for a while."

"Really? Any place in particular?" The dark red dragon asked.

"Yes, we're off to the Gilded Scales bar over in the Southwestern part of Warfang." Aegis answered. "Would you like to join us?"

Wraith thought for a moment. "Well, I don't have anything better to do…Sure."

"Good." Albanion said. "You need to get out more often than you do."

The Gilded Scales Bar wasn't a very big one. It was of decent size, with an average feel to it. The bar was owned by a silver-hided dragon named Sigmund, who also served as the bartender. Sigmund was a surly drake somewhere in his late forties. He had bronze horns that grew separately on the top of his head, and then curved downwards and came close together at the tips.

The three Deep Shadows walked into the bar, with Albanion at the lead. The Gilded Scales was one of Albanion's regular hangouts, and he was one of Sigmund's regular customers. When the dark grey dragon approached the bar. Sigmund was cleaning a mug with a rag. When the bartender saw Albanion, he set the mug down and smiled a little.

"Greetings, sir." The bartender said. "What'll you have today?"

"I'll just take the usual." Albanion answered. "Give the same thing to my two friends here."

"Certainly, sir!"

Sigmund set to work grabbing a few clean mugs, while Albanion and the other Deep Shadows walked towards the back of the bar, where the dragon-sized tables and booths were. Wraith had a look around. Two earth dragons served as bouncers at the front of the bar. There weren't that many other patrons around. There were a few cheetahs and wolves sitting here and there at the front. There was only one dragon in the back: A purple dragon with three orange horns, two of which were like ram's horns. He was dressed in a fine cloak, drinking from a mug of ale and seemed to be going over a pile of papers. A small pipe sat on a napkin, a small bit of smoke rising up.

Albanion noticed the purple dragon as well. "I know that man."

"Hmm?" Wraith asked. "Who is he?"

"His name is Benjamin. He is one of the traders visiting town. I wonder what brings him this far from the caravan, though."

The three Deep Shadows sat at a table in the back corner, a good distance from the magician. Soon afterwards, a tiger waitress walked up and placed three mugs of ale before them.

"Thank you, milady." Aegis said.

"Your welcome, sir." The waitress replied. She bowed and walked away.

"Albanion, did you bring the deck of cards?" The dark brown dragon queried.

"Of course." he answered, producing a deck.

"You two play cards?" Wraith asked.

"From time to time." Albanion replied. "It's a mild enjoyment after a long day. Care to join in?" The dark red dragon shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

For a good while, the three Deep Shadows played rounds of poker, drinking from their mugs and chatting the whole time. They gambled with small amounts of coins that each dragon was carrying on their person.

"Times sure have been changing like the seasons, haven't they?" Wraith asked.

"How do you figure?" Aegis asked. Wraith smirked.

"When I was a kid, Alby and I were living in the Floating Plains, working for Urobos. Then, sixteen years ago, we left our old home to work in that floating city. Then, after it was destroyed, The Nexus was built, and we lived there for several years. And then, King Bane conquered Warfang. We've been living here ever since."

"Yes, it seems we keep having to change our home every few years." Albanion agreed.

"It makes me wonder: Where are we headed after this?" Wraith asked.

"We all could be living in Warfang for many years to come." Aegis said. "The tension between the Light and Dark dragon races has died down in recent years. We're slowly returning to the way things were before the war started."

"I doubt things are this simple." Albanion said. "I fear that we are on the verge of another great catastrophe."

"What makes you say that?"

"Saul was not the most welcoming of our return. I believe he still seeks to take Warfang for his own."

"Even if he wanted to, he'd be hard pressed to succeed." Aegis replied. "Several countries voiced their support for Queen Elenar."

"That doesn't mean Saul won't find those who support his point of view. Like the Cougar tribes, for instance."

"The cougars are little more than barbarians." Wraith chimed in. "The other feline tribes of the Tarune forest have had trouble with them too."

"Either way, there is proof that the Dark dragons still have a ways to go before being universally accepted." Albanion said. "And besides all that, there is still one more thing, which may prove worst of all."

"And what's that?" Aegis asked. Albanion looked around at the other patrons, and then leaned in and whispered.

"The curse of Runileon the Wicked."

"Ah, right." Wraith said. "That's going to be a problem."

"Would you care to elaborate on this curse?" Aegis asked. "I am unfamiliar with the name."

"That's amusing." Albanion said. "Considering Runileon was alive when you were a young dragon."

"Oh?" Aegis asked. "Well, considering I am in my early-fifties, this intrigues me."

"Allow me to tell you the story of Runileon, the White Monster." Albanion said.

"You see, several decades ago, The monarch of clan Aries, Queen Terinali, traveled to the city of Aeroshard. While she was there, she happened to make love to the ruler of Clan Libra, King Obelisk. This was an act of adultery on the king's part: Obelisk was a married man. To keep Terinali silent, Obelisk bribed her with a massive wealth of gold, which she accepted. When Terinali returned to her home, she discovered she was going to have an egg. To keep the father's identity a secret, Terinali married one of her closest subjects, a man named Zeritus. She bribed him to act as though the child was his.

"When Terinali laid her egg, the shell was pure white, and the dragon that hatched from it was white as well. The hatchling was named Runileon. He was the first white dragon born in hundreds of years."

"What made his hide such a color?" Aegis asked.

"I cannot say, because it is unknown." Albanion responded.

"What did he look like?"

"As Runileon grew, he had several frightening features. He had a blood red underbelly, with a slim yet muscular build. He had blood red eyes, and a mane as dark as the night. He had five large silver horns on his head: The ones in the center and on the sides of his face were curved, while the two horns between them were bent at downward angles. Two more horns grew out of his lower jaw like tusks. He had the symbols of clan Aries on his sides, which glowed red. He also had the symbol of clan Libra on his front left paw: a set of scales, which glowed red as well. He had to use magic to hide this smaller birthmark.

"It was not just Runileon's appearance that was frightening. He had control over all twelve elements of magic, just like a dragon."

"And he could wield all twelve of them at once, creating the then-mythical purple energy known as Convexity." Wraith added.

"Yes. Because of his incredible skill and power, many expected great things from him. This led him to become prideful and arrogant, caring little for others. At the same time, he was vengeful and aggressive, because he was forced to hide the fact that he was the son of two clans: Aries and Libra, the latter being kept secret. When he grew to the age where he could select a bride, he refused to marry: Due to the matriarchal bylaws of Clan Aries, every Queen receives dominant authority instead of the King. Not willing to give up his power, Runileon instead chose to keep several dragonesses in his own personal harem."

"That's most unbecoming of a king." Aegis commented.

"The power he had wasn't enough for him. He left the mountains and made for the isle of Brizl'dur for the next Council of the Monarchs. When he arrived, he demanded that the current ruler, his younger half-brother Dogun, step down. Runileon revealed his Libra birthmark, and used it as proof that he was the rightful heir to the throne. Seeing that his point was a valid one, the Council members decided to have a vote as to whether Dogun should step down and hand over his rulership. A few of the Light clan monarchs, even Dogun himself, agreed. However, all six of the Dark Clans declined, especially King Hyperion of Clan Capricorn, who suspected hidden trickery in Runileon's words.

"Outraged to have his birthright declined, he returned to the Mountains of Inferdus in a huff. For many years, Runileon kept Clan Aries isolated from the rest of the world. He refused to appear at the Council of the Monarchs, and never sent any representatives. So, King Dogun decided to travel to the Mountains of Inferdus to try to get onto good terms with his brother. He brought a large group of his people to the Mountains, so that the two clans could trade goods peacefully. When Dogun's entourage arrived, Runileon flew into a rage and slew him. He also proceeded to kill as many of the Light dragons as possible. However, some managed to flee the mountains.

"After this massacre, Runileon declared a vendetta against all other dragon Clans. He left the Mountains of Inferdus, forcing an army of his own people to attack other dragon cities and settlements. Runileon used the power of gems to augment his magical ablility, which he used in turn to summon countless numbers of crepsculi, as well as possess the minds of his followers, turning them into mindless killing machines."

"I guess, considering the massive amount of gems available to him, his power was incredible." Wraith said.

"Yes. He used the gems' power to enhance his size, becoming a giant among men. He proceeded to wage war on the dragon clans, starting with all six Dark clans, because they were the ones who prevented him from taking his birthright. Multiple dragon clans stood together against him, fighting his minions all across the Dark dragon territories. He killed many dark dragons relentlessly and without mercy. He was given the nickname, 'Runileon the Wicked'."

"Why didn't the dark clans call to the light clans for aid?"

"At first, they did. However, the Light dragons that escaped the massacre at the Mountains of Inferdus had told the Light Clans what had happened. And as the war progressed, the Light Clans grew to fear Runileon's very name, calling him The White Monster. And since Runileon was now only targeting the Dark Clans, the Light Clans believed that if they stayed out of the fight, they would be spared.

"During the battle against Runileon, five young dark dragons stood up to fight against the White Monster personally. The first three were the sons of King Hyperion: Valchen, Urobos and Umbra, the three heirs to Clan Capricorn. The other two were Runileon's own children: Prince Alexander and Princess Catherine. Unlike their father, the Prince and Princess were regular Pain dragons. He didn't love them; he just let them live out of obligation. That would later prove to be a mistake.

"The five young heirs fought through Runileon's forces and confronted the Wicked One himself, fighting him in a battle to the death. The five young dragons were able to combine their powers and defeat Runileon, mortally wounding him. However, Umbra and Valchen were slain in the process. As Runileon lay dying, he glared at his children, and transformed his very essence into pure energy to use it place a terrible Curse upon the two of them. He declared that, one day, one of his descendants would be a white dragon, one more evil and _far_ more powerful than he was. He then passed away, fading into nothingness.

"For years afterwards, those who take the throne of Aries had been nervous, always fearing that, someday, one of them would be born White-hided. For the longest time, it never happened, so the royal family let the Curse slip into the back of their minds…"

"..Until Elenar's daughter's egg was laid, right?" Wraith asked. Albanion nodded.

"Elenar feared for the child's life. She didn't want anyone knowing her child's egg was White, or they'd demand that it be smashed out of fear. She left if in the care of Bergan, who presumably has raised their daughter to this day."

"And just recently, Elenar's daughter was in Warfang." Aegis said. "She was scene alongside those thugs who attacked and attempted to murder Prince Cyrus. That begs a few questions, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Wraith agreed. "Like, why would she be in Warfang in the first place? Why would she attempt to kill the prince? And isn't it strange that she'd appear on the same day as the Caravan from Faeshrine?"

"Nobody's seen the girl since the incident." Albanion added. "And yet, the Caravan is still in town. Maybe it was a coincidence."

"Still, I have the strangest feeling we haven't seen the last of that girl." Aegis said.

Albanion looked at a wall clock.

"It's getting late. We should leave."

And so, the three Deep Shadows gathered their belongings and left the Bar. Albanion paid Sigmund on the way out.

…

It was late at night.

The air was thick in the prison cell, heavy with moisture in the confined space of the temple prison. Thin patches of moss grew on the massive stone slabs of the cells, creeping across the walls to slowly, but surely invade other cells. The massive iron doors were bolted shut, several locks holding each door shut. The hinges were tinged with only minuscule rust, having been oiled only several months back. Guards stood to attention every couple dozen meters down the main hall of the prison, armored in light, but practical chain mail, expressions bored.

Johnathan sat at the far end of his small prison cell in a horrified stupor. Thick iron chains bound his hind ankles to the far wall. His brown cloak had been taken away, along with his knives and other accessories. His once brilliant green scales were spotted with patches of dirt and grime. His thick build had dwindled, his ribs showing underneath.

"This can't be happening." He muttered frantically. "It just can't!"

It had been days since Johnathan and the others were arrested. They were all sent to separate prison cells. The earth dragon had a feeling he'd never see them again. He thought little of them at the moment anyway: His focus was on his own fate. He had failed to do what his father told him to do; kill the princes of Warfang. To make matters worse, not only had he been captured by Queen Elenar, but a letter about his deeds was being sent to his family in Aeroshard.

"This is horrible." Johnathan whimpered. "What're Mom and Aunt Angela gonna do when the find out? Worse, what's Dad going to do? He's gonna exile me for failing him! Or worse, **kill** me!"

Johnathan curled up in a ball. "By the Ancestors, I'm so screwed!"

"Shut up in there!" One of the guards exclaimed.

The young drake hugged himself, crying silently.

In the silence, Johnathan could here footsteps approaching from outside. They came to a stop right before his cell.

"Greetings, milady." One of the guards said. "What brings you down here?"

"I'm here because I feel like having a little chat with the miscreant who attempted to murder the queen's son." A female voice said.

"As you wish, milady."

_Who's that?_ Johnathan wondered.

"Why don't you two take a break for the rest of the night?" The woman asked.

"But we need to keep an eye on the prison, milady."

"That won't be a problem as long as I'm here. I highly doubt a teenager in chains will make it past me."

"If you say so, milady."

After a moment, one of the guards unlocked the door. The door was pushed inwards, and a feminine figure walked into the light. The woman was dressed in dark robes, similar to the robes worn by the dragon who arrested Johnathan.

_It's one of those Deep Shadow guys._

The two guards walked down the hallway, leaving Johnathan and the dragoness alone. The earth dragon crept back against the wall.

"W.. What do you want?" He asked weakly.

"You stupid boy." The dragoness sneered. "What fool attempts to murder someone of high profile in the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight?"

Johnathan didn't respond. He instead glared at the ground.

"Answer me, boy." The dragoness demanded. "Or else you'll have to answer to Bergan."

Johnathan flinched in confusion. "What did you say?"

The dragoness reached into a pocket in her robes and produced something. A moment later, light exploded into existence as she lit a candle. Johnathan wince in discomfort.

"You could've warned me!" He exclaimed.

"Hush." The dragoness hissed. "Do you want to alert the other soldiers?"

"Who are you?" Johnathan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"My name is Nerona." The dragoness answered. "I happen to be personally acquainted with Bergan."

"So, you're here to help me escape?" Johnathan asked.

"Yes, but only if you agree to do as I say."

"I do." The teenager quickly said.

"Good." Nerona sat the candlestick and its holster on the ground as she began working on Johnathan's chains, unlocking each one in turn and ending with the muzzle. Johnathan got up on all fours, flexing his limbs and lower jaw.

"Thanks." He said.

"Don't thank me yet, boy." Nerona said, picking up the candlestick. "There's still the matter of getting you out of this prison."

"How are you gonna do that?" Johnathan asked.

"Quite simple really: A distraction." Nerona turned and walked out of the cell. Johnathan moved to follow her out, but the dragoness stopped him.

"Hey, I thought you were helping me escape." He complained.

"Yes, but you can't just go running down the hall with guards on patrol to catch you." Nerona scolded.

"So what do we do?"

"We make a distraction. But first…"

Nerona quickly shoved Johnathan backwards and shut the door.

"Hey!" Johnathan protested.

Nerona reached into her robes and pulled out a small, black, round object.

_I'll need to thank Bergan for sending these to me._

The dragoness tossed the orb down the east object as far as she could. It bounced against the floor a few times, before crashing into the far wall. As soon as it did, the orb exploded into a mass of black smoke, filling the corridor at a rapid pace.

Nerona quickly hid back inside the cell as guards began to rush towards the source of the commotion.

"What in the world's happen?" One exclaimed.

Once they had passed by far enough, Nerona slipped out of the cell, Johnathan following close behind.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Now you flee." Nerona said. "Follow after me."

"Okay…"

Without another word, Nerona fled down the cleared hallway. Johnathan chased right behind her, a dozen thoughts rushing through his head.

_Who is this woman, and how does she know Bergan?_

…

It was close to closing time for the Gilded Scales bar. "Benjamin" still sat at the table, drinking from another round of ale. He was the last customer in the bar. The other patrons, as well as all the servers, had left for the night. His pipe still sat nearby, smoking as though it had just been used.

"That was a rather amusing story." He said, to no one in particular. He moved his pipe in front of him and dropped some green ashes into the bowl.

As he continued drinking from his mug, slowly and casually, Sigmund the bartender glared at him.

"Excuse me, sir!" He shouted. Bergan glanced over at the bartender.

"Yes?" He asked calmly.

"I'd like to inform you that it's close to closing time. Please hurry up with your beverage and leave."

"Closing time?" Bergan asked, cocking an eye ridge. "My, how time flies when one's enjoying himself."

The purple drake rose up and approached the counter. "Your establishment is truly wonderful. It was a pleasure."

"Thank you, sir." Sigmund replied.

Bergan made his way towards the exit, but then stopped. He turned to look at the bartender.

"You've been a most wonderful host, so I feel obligated to warn you."

"Sir?" Sigmund asked, confused.

"Being a magician, as well as a dragon with the Time element, I can see into the most recent future from time to time." Bergan said. "And I can see into your _personal_ recent future.

"I see…" Sigmund stated. "And what do you wish to warn me about?"

"Your establishment is quite old, and is naturally not the most well-constructed buildings." Bergan continued. "Very soon, an accident is going to happen, and the whole thing will come tumbling down.

"Are.. Are you threatening me?" Sigmund snarled.

"Of course not." The purple drake replied. "The building's destruction is inevitable. I'm merely telling you this so that you have a chance to get out of harm's way."

"That's enough!" The bartender bellowed. "Time magic or no, I will not stand for this insult! Get out of my bar!"

"Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take?"

"GET OUT!" Sigmund looked over to the bouncers and signaled for them to approached.

"Oh, if you insist…" Bergan turned back towards the door and walked forwards, pushing past the bouncers. "There's no need for that; I'm leaving of my own accord."

As the magician walked out, he turned to look back at the bartended.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, my friend." And with that, he was gone.

Sigmund snorted in irritation. The bartender resumed preparing the bar to close, while the bouncers returned to their positions.

Unbeknownst to them all, Bergan had left his pipe on the table. The smoke from the pipe slowly rose up to the ceiling. The entire ceiling was covered in feint, shifting smoke. And yet, the smoke was completely odorless, even to a dragon.

A small match was sitting atop the pipe, which was still lit. The tiny flame was slowly making its way towards the bowl, which had a small amount of green ashes contained inside. Inch by inch, the flame moved across the pipe on its own, as if guided by an unseen force. Eventually, the tiny flame dropped into the bowl of ashes.

A spark of green fire instantly exploded from the bowl and rose up along the smoke. The flames spread across the entire ceiling, burning everything in its wake.

Sigmund and the others cried out in horror.

"BY THE ANCESTORS-!"

That was all he could say before the ceiling collapsed.

…

It was night. After traveling relentlessly for several days, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur finally arrived at Glenhaven. Throughout the whole trip, Tyrrany was still mad at Flame. She spoke to him when necessary, but ignored him the rest of the time.

The three teenagers came to a landing right inside the north wall of the city. Tyrrany was wearing her outfit to disguise her scales. She looked around at the city of Glenhaven.

"Wow, this place sure is different from Warfang or Faeshrine." Arthur said.

"Yeah…" Flame agreed.

"Finding my brother will not be an easy task." Tyrrany said to them. "First, we will need to find a place to stay at while we're here. Then, we'll need to find this 'Nellie' that father mentioned."

"How are we going to know what that "life-or-death situation" is?" Arthur asked. Tyrrany thought for a minute.

"I don't know. Perhaps we'll find out soon enough. Or, maybe he meat for _us_ to cause the life-or-death situation."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Anny." Flame said.

"We can't dawdle here. Come on!" Tyrrany said, moving forward. Flame and Arthur rushed after the dragoness. As they wandered through the silent streets of Glenhaven, Arthur started whispering to Flame.

"You _really_ shouldn't have done that last night, man."

"I just wanted to-"

"Well it was a bad idea. Who knows how long she'll be that way with you?"

"Maybe you're right…"

All three of them stayed silent after that. The whole time, Flame watched Tyrrany's every move. He sighed.

_I'll never give up on you, Tyrrany._


End file.
